9-foot gator caught in Tampa
Warm winters are said to be the root cause for the early alligator mating season in Florida, where the reptiles are literally stopping traffic.
Florida police wrangled a nearly 10-foot long alligator who was caught roaming a residential street.
Captain Phil Walters, an official alligator trapped, assisted the Tampa Police Department with hauling the massive creature away from the road and back to safety of the swamp.
The alligator measured 9.4 feet long and took a handful of grown men to subdue the animal.
A contracted alligator trapper helps officers put the reptile in his truck. (FOX 13)
Authorities taped the scaly creature's sharp fangs shut and grabbed its four legs before placing it into Walters' truck.
Walters said alligator mating season is right around the corner, and he expects them to be very active over the next couple of months. The alligator trapper added that over the past week he has had 10 gators in the back of his truck.
"This time of year for whatever reason they start walking around, looking for love, looking for new places to eat – they’re hungry," Walters told FOX 13. "This is the time of year to be really aware of your surroundings. Look where you put your feet and hands. Look before you jump in the pool. I take them out of pools this time of year. Look before you walk out the door. If you have a doggy door, look before you step out of bed."
Tampa police wrangled the gator after it was seen wandering in the street. (FOX 13)
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), alligator courtship season begins in April and mating begins in June and July. Females build a mound nest of soil, vegetation, or debris and deposit an average of 32 to 46 eggs in late June or early July.
Hatching of baby gators occurs from mid-August through early September.
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Walters says it is important for residents to be aware of their surroundings this time of year, sharing that if a Floridian had hit the large reptile, their car would have been totaled.
Tampa officers captured a 9'4" alligator on Howard Avenue. (FOX 13)
According to FWC, an alligator is deemed a nuisance if it is at least four feet long and the caller believes it poses a threat to people, pets or property.
If a trapper catches a gator that is smaller than four feet, they can release it but if it is larger, the trapper can either kill the gator or sell it to an alligator farm, alligator exhibit, or zoo.
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In Florida, the FWC also provide residents and visitors with a Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR.
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