Body-camera footage of Florida deputies encountering a massive alligator went viral earlier this year, and it is not difficult to see why.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies responding to an apartment complex had been told they should expect an alligator measuring roughly 5 feet long.
The estimate was a little off.
When deputies arrived, they found an alligator measuring more than 11 feet from end to end, according to an agency post. What started as a call about a moderately sized Florida reptile had become a considerably larger problem.
The Five-Foot Alligator Was Not Five Feet
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The incident happened near an apartment complex in Orange County, Florida. According to the sheriff’s office, the original 911 caller reported an alligator estimated at about 5 feet long walking near the property.
Deputies arrived and quickly learned that the estimate had left quite a bit of alligator unaccounted for.
The animal measured more than 11 feet long, making it more than twice the length deputies had been expecting.
Body-camera footage shows the large alligator on land as deputies and licensed trappers work around it. With an animal of that size, getting it away from the apartment complex required considerably more than simply pointing it toward the nearest body of water.
Deputies Helped Get the Gator Under Control
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said deputies assisted licensed alligator trappers with securing the animal.
The encounter ended without any reported injuries. WFTV reported that the alligator was successfully captured and relocated.
FOX 35 Orlando also reported that deputies worked alongside licensed trappers to secure and relocate the animal.
Florida has a formal system for dealing with alligators that pose potential problems around homes and other populated areas. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission operates the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program, which uses contracted nuisance-alligator trappers to respond to qualifying complaints.
Florida Has a Number for This
The state considers an alligator a potential nuisance when it is at least 4 feet long and believed to pose a threat to people, pets, or property, according to the FWC.
That does not mean every alligator spotted near people is automatically removed. Alligators are a normal part of Florida’s landscape, and wildlife officials warn people against feeding them or attempting to handle one themselves.
For residents concerned about an alligator that may pose a threat, the FWC maintains a Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR.
In this case, there was little question that the animal cleared the state’s 4-foot size threshold.
It cleared the caller’s estimate by roughly another alligator.
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