Florida family discovers giant alligator 'taking a dip' in swimming pool
Alligator measured 10 feet, 11 inches long and weighed 550 pounds
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Florida family woke up to a loud noise in their yard and discovered a nearly 11-foot alligator going for a night swim in their pool, authorities said Tuesday.
The massive gator, measuring 10 feet, 11 inches long and weighing 550 pounds, tore through the screen around the Deep Creek family’s lanai, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Water Safety Month, Tip #37: Always check your pool before diving in!" the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
The gator woke up a sleeping family in Deep Creek and went for a swim in their pool. (Charlotte County Sheriff's Office)
The sheriff’s office shared photos of the visiting gator "taking a dip" in the "nice, cool water."
Deputies and an alligator trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) worked together to wrangle the wayward gator.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It was unclear what happened to the gator after deputies and an alligator trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrangled the massive creature. (Charlotte County Sheriff's Office)
It wasn’t immediately clear where officials brought the gator after interrupting its swim.
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"If you see an alligator leave it alone, give it its distance," Dan Costell, associate curator for reptiles and fish at Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park, told FOX13 Tampa.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The FWC said that alligator mating season typically occurs in May or June, while hatching happens from August through September.