When you own a pool, you sometimes feel like visitors are always showing up wanting to take a dip to cool off. And while most of those guests will arrive on two legs, a homeowner in Venice, Florida, says that they received an unwanted guest who arrived via four legs after breaking into their screened-in porch.
The man says he was alerted to movement in their pool during the early morning hours on July 14, which is when he discovered a 9-foot-4-inch alligator floating in his backyard. He promptly called the police, who came out, snapped a few photos, and immediately called Florida Fish and Wildlife.
Talk about a wild wake-up call!
Fortunately, nobody was hurt during the break-in, and the homeowner ended up with an amazing story to tell.
Florida Man Finds Massive Alligator Swimming in His Pool
According to local Fox News station Channel 13, the Toscana Isles homeowner was alerted that something was amiss when his Ring camera went off. When he went to check on the movement, he discovered that a gigantic alligator had forced its way through the screened enclosure surrounding his inground pool for a swim.
ABC News Channel 7 says that police called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program, and they sent a local trapper out to remove the alligator without incident.
Summer is a Busy Time for Alligator Activity
There’s a joke that if there’s a hole that is big enough to hold water in Florida, there’s a good chance that there’s an alligator lurking inside of it. But, according to the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, there’s a specific season that is more active than others when it comes to alligator movement, and it runs from April through June.
This is mating season for the reptiles, and the organization says that during these months, it’s important to keep swimming to daylight hours and only in designated waterways. Additionally, they advise against feeding or approaching alligators in the wild, since they can be especially aggressive during this time of year.
Of course, this wouldn’t have helped the Florida homeowner since his pool was already a designated swimming area, but it does serve as a reminder that the spring and summer months are likely busy ones for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program.