Nuisance alligators on the rise in Florida
With April comes the start of alligator mating season, meaning more aggressive gators on the prowl, and that’s not sitting well with residents of the Sunshine State. Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Commission says over 7,000 nuisance alligators had to be killed or relocated last year, compared to 6,700 in 2017.
Talk about a bizarre find.
Officials with Alachua County Sheriff's Office in Florida took to Twitter on Sunday to share a photo of an alligator and a deceased shark — which were oddly found in the same creek.
In what the sheriff’s office called the “most Florida call of the week,” officials reminded residents that Lake Forest Creek (where the animals were found) “isn’t shark-infested.” The nearly 6-foot shark was “caught elsewhere” before it was dumped in the creek, they said.
HUGE 3-LEGGED ALLIGATOR HOBBLES ACROSS FLORIDA GOLF COURSE, APPEARS AT WOMAN’S HOME
“Deputies responded — just in case,” officials said in the post, noting there's "never a dull moment" in the state.
“We’re still hoping someone can call in with more information, too… right now, all we know is someone dumped the shark, already dead, in the creek. Why is a mystery,” officials wrote in response to one Twitter user who asked for more information.
The news comes after wildlife officials in the state wrangled a nearly 12-foot gator strolling down a street in Ocala over the weekend.
HUGE ALLIGATOR FOUND IN ARKANSAS RICE FIELD AFTER RAIN CAUSES RIVERS TO OVERFLOW
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said they received a call about the alligator and kept a close watch on the reptile until the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) arrived at the scene.
Later, the FWC captured the gator. It took five officials to load the huge reptile into the back of a pickup so it could be relocated to a secluded area, police said.
Fox News' Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.