Alligator Takes a Dip in Family Pool in Florida, Prompting Police Intervention

Last night, officers with the New Smyrna Beach Police Department had an unexpected visitor at a family’s pool in Venetian Bay – a 10-foot long alligator! The department shared the surprising encounter on social media, where they also revealed that a trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped remove the gator from the pool.

With over 1.3 million alligators in the state of Florida, encounters like this are not uncommon, especially during mating season, which runs from May to June. The FWC does not relocate “nuisance alligators” over four feet in length, as they may disrupt social structures or return to the area they were captured from.

So what’s next for this pool-loving gator? Well, it’s likely not a relocation, as the FWC states they may end up back in a pool. If you ever encounter an alligator where it shouldn’t be, you can call the FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR.

Florida truly is the land of the unexpected, where you should always assume there’s an alligator in every body of water, even your own pool!