Manatee County Sheriff's Office deputies got more than they bargained for on the night of September 10 when they responded to a backyard alligator call. The initial radio report described the animal as a modest 4 to 5 feet long — the kind of size that might prompt a cautious nudge toward a nearby pond rather than an urgent call for backup.
Body-worn camera footage, released by the sheriff's office, shows deputies attempting to coax the gator out of the yard by tapping its tail and guiding it toward water. That plan came to an abrupt end when the alligator wheeled around and lunged at a deputy crossing its path, sending everyone scrambling — followed by a round of laughter and a quick consensus that this was, in one deputy's words, "a job for a trapper."
A licensed Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission trapper was called to the scene and successfully removed the animal, which measured a full 8 feet, 4 inches. That's well past the 4-foot threshold at which Florida considers an alligator a "nuisance" — particularly when it poses a threat to people, pets, or property.
Florida is home to roughly 1.3 million alligators, and FWC policy is not to relocate large nuisance gators. Because territorial conflicts and the likelihood the animal would simply return make relocation impractical, large nuisance alligators are removed permanently. Trappers are permitted to sell the animal's meat and hide.
This story was originally reported by the National Enquirer.
