Home & Garden
Roaming Gator Makes A House Call
A Plant City man found himself trapped inside his home when the alligator came knocking.
PLANT CITY, FL — A Plant City man found himself calling 911 recently when an unexpected, and very unwanted, visitor came knocking on his door.
It seems the man attempted to leave his Partridge Pass home only to discover a 9 ½-foot alligator had climbed his front stairs and was attempting to get in. A quick call to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office resulted in the arrival of a deputy and a subsequent call to a licensed trapper.
The sheriff’s office posted shots of the trapper and one of its deputies wrangling the wandering beast on its Twitter page Friday.
The Plant City encounter isn’t the first that’s occurred in the region since daily temperatures started hitting the 80-degree mark. School children in Lakeland recently had their own close encounter when an alligator crashed the campus just before dismissal time.
See Also:
- Florida Springtime Dangers: Gators, Giant Toads, Puss Caterpillars
- Watch: Massive Gator Crashes Florida School’s Dismissal Time
- Woman Fighting To Keep Pet Alligator
- Gator Battles Giant Python On Golf Course
- Gator comes Knocking on Florida Homeowner’s Door
- 11-Foot Gator Eats Burglar
Encounters such as these are not at all unheard of in Florida during the springtime. In fact, warmer weather is peak time for alligator movement, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says.
“All reptiles are more active in the warmer months,” FWC spokesman Gary Morse told Patch. “That’s just the cold-blooded creatures’ (way). Their metabolism increases and they do become active.”
That increase in activity can lead to an increase in encounters with humans as gators take advantage of this time of year to stretch their legs and see if the grass is greener on the other side of the pond. With that in mind, the state warns residents to appreciate roaming gators from a distance.
For those who like swimming in Florida’s freshwater lakes, ponds and rivers, Morse suggested avoiding heavily vegetated areas. He also warned: “No swimming between dusk and dawn when alligators tend to be active.”
For residents who encounter nuisance alligators, such as those that show up on front door steps, Morse said it’s a good idea to call the state’s hotline. That number is 1-866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
He also recommends people who live in or visit Florida brush up on their alligator knowledge.
“It’s imperative that people do their homework, go to our website and learn how to handle (sightings),” he said.
To help out, the state offers a downloadable brochure with the ABCs of cohabitating with these reptiles. “A Guide to Living with Alligators” can be accessed from the state’s website.
While finding an alligator on a front porch can be disconcerting to say the least, FWC warns that gators aren’t the only critters more active in the springtime. Giant toads, also known as cane or bufo toads, are known to come out to play, as are puss caterpillars. Both of these invasive creatures can pose problems for pets and humans.
Photos courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Twitter page
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