TAMPA, Fla. — It’s alligator mating season in Florida, so it is not rare to find the reptiles walking across streets, empty lots and even golf courses.
But in the parking lot of an apartment complex? And under a car? Now, that is scary.
On March 31, a Tampa resident called the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to report a 10-foot, 2-inch gator resting underneath a vehicle, WTVT reported.
On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office shared a video of trappers taking the gator away. None of the residents were harmed, and neither was the gator, according to WFLA.
The sheriff’s office said trappers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were called to the complex on March 31. The caller said there was a pond nearby.
“This was no small gator … it was 10 feet 2 inches,” deputies wrote on Facebook.
The removal of the reptile was recorded on the body camera of Deputy Shyanne Wheaton.
According to the FWC, alligators begin courting in early April and mating occurs in May or June.
Deputies are advising residents to be vigilant. Persons seeing an alligator should keep their distance and never feed them. Also, pet owners are advised to keep their animals on a leash and away from the water’s edge, particularly at dusk, WTVT reported.
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