[John_W]

Scott & Dana Barrish were awoken by a loud bang at the front door at 2am at Perry Villas, located between Eisenhower Rec Center and Shooters World. The motion sensor light had come on, and they looked out and saw this 6' gator.

The alligator appeared to have been in a standoff with a coyote and the alligator retreated to the front door area of the villa, Barrish said. Sumter County sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene and coordinated with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which summoned a trapper to the home.

The trapper arrived on the scene within an hour and used a bang stick to apprehend the alligator, which appeared to be missing part of the tail. The alligator was euthanized.

[Stu from NYC]

Wow

Are you sure he wasnt there for a cup of coffee?

[Velvet]

This year there seems to be more of these guys around. Anybody else notice?

[Heaven Bound]

Just give him a leg & go back to bed

[davem4616]

we had a 5 footer hiding in the Boston Ferns in our front flower beds 6 months ago...like 3 feet from our front lanai screen door

had no idea that it was there....I was 'weed wacking' the ferns to knock them back before the landscaper came to 'refresh' the mulch. Thankfully I decided to start trimming that one from the side vs. head on, as I would have hit him in the snout. I must have hit him in the side because all of a sudden he came flying out of the fern across the front walk and just laid there! Talk about being totally shocked. My wife was with me weeding in the bed behind me...I said, 'get in the garage!' (what?) "get in the garage!" (why?) "there's an alligator right here, get in the garage!"....she starts yelling "Hand bag, hand bag I called it, Hand bag" lol

he eventually walked away without any issue...later the landscaper said "Oh yeah, he saw those Boston ferns and said that's were I'm going" apparently gators love to nest in Boston ferns....well, we said to the landscaper...you can pull out those ferns while you're guys are here

[Velvet]

Wow! I checked to make sure I had no such fern bush around my property. Hubby couldn’t figure out the “hand bag” part, had to explain it to him. LOL

[Gpsma]

Euthanized??

Alogator Lives Matter!

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by Velvet

Wow! I checked to make sure I had no such fern bush around my property. Hubby couldn’t figure out the “hand bag” part, had to explain it to him. LOL

Maybe I'll plant some ferns. I could use a new pair of boots, belt, hat, wallet , guitar strap, oh, and maybe even a hand bag for my wife (which she wouldn't use). Oh yea, and a necklace from the teeth. Don't forget the gator bbq.

[daca55]

Why would they have to euthanize him? He apparently was seeking a place to hide after dealing with coyote. That’s not right. He should have been trapped and moved to an area.

[cmeinel@verizon.net]

I agree but I guess there are so many that if you call on an alligator you are giving it a death sentence

[mulligan]

If they are over 4 feet, they are old enough to have developed homing instincts. If they are relocated, the first move is for them to head home. wreaking havoc along the way. Over 4 feet, the trappers kill them, and harvest the hide and meat for sale.

[jjp2532]

Alligators eat in the water. Unlikely to attack on dry land.

[Kgcetm]

Surely this should answer the question raised yesterday on Nexdoor as to whether it was a good idea to allow dogs in a backyard that is on a pond. Hope they are listening.

An interesting observation is that an animal that strikes terror in most humans seeks those humans out when they are hurt or in need. Is there a lesson here?

[Cheiro]

Originally Posted by John_W

Scott & Dana Barrish were awoken by a loud bang at the front door at 2am at Perry Villas, located between Eisenhower Rec Center and Shooters World. The motion sensor light had come on, and they looked out and saw this 6' gator.

The alligator appeared to have been in a standoff with a coyote and the alligator retreated to the front door area of the villa, Barrish said. Sumter County sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene and coordinated with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which summoned a trapper to the home.

The trapper arrived on the scene within an hour and used a bang stick to apprehend the alligator, which appeared to be missing part of the tail. The alligator was euthanized.

I always find it amusing when folks are confronted by wildlife. What we don't take in to account is that they were here long before humans came to the area (and I presume they will be here long after we are gone.) As a large development like TV expands, it is displacing these creatures from their traditional homes and they find themselves passing through the areas developed for humans. This has happened each time TV has expanded. We can only hope the wild creatures can learn to retreat from the areas of human invasion and content themselves with whatever areas are left for them.

[kendi]

poor thing.