A Tampa, Florida, family woke up last week to find an alligator on their front porch. It’s not all that unusual for the creatures to be spotted out and about in the state, but this alligator was a unique one.
Croc Encounters, a reptile park and wildlife center that captures “nuisance alligators,” received a call from the family about a nearly 9-foot-long gator that refused to leave their porch. Photos show the happy gator resting comfortably on the porch, but it was missing some limbs, most likely due to a fight with another alligator.
The unique gator had drawn a crowd while the family waited for it to be rescued. With the help of Croc Encounters, the gator was removed from the home, but not without a fight. Rescuers said the feisty gator “smashed everything in sight upon exiting.”
Croc Encounters posted details of the rescue to Facebook and shared that the gator is now a new resident at their rescue facility.
https://www.facebook.com/crocencounters/posts/3501647573187017
Alligator attacks are rare, but encounters are increasing in the state of Florida where more than 1.3 million alligators reside. Most of those encounters are harmless as gators are just passing through on a road or gold course, or occasionally seek out a place to rest on a porch or driveway.