JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – We are now in alligator mating season, so that means you can expect to see more reptiles out and about.
For one local woman, that meant a sighting a little too close for comfort.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released a video (watch it below) showing Officers Kopp and Johnson removing a small alligator from the 104-year-old woman’s home near Atlantic Boulevard and Art Museum Drive.
The officers had a little fun taking the gator away, saying, “We can’t cuff him” and then telling the gator they were going to “take him downtown” so he could “leave the grandmas alone.”
Licensed trapper Mike Dragich helped the officers remove the 5-foot gator, and police said it was alive and well in a different location.
During mating season, gators can be more aggressive.
The most recent data from the Florda Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows that since 1948, over 450 alligator attacks have been recorded and nearly 30 people have been killed.
Of the deadly attacks, more than half occurred during breeding or nesting season.
That’s why you need to follow directions.
In Florida, assume there’s a gator in any lake or pond.
Keep your children and pets away from the water.
Do not feed alligators. It is not only dangerous but illegal in Florida.
“Don’t swim” signs mean alligators are around.
And if you see a baby alligator, know the mother is close by.
If you’re concerned about an alligator, you can call the FWC at 866-392-4286, and they’ll send an alligator trapper to catch it.