A Central Florida homeowner was in for a scaly surprise right in her front yard.
Christina Broeker recorded video of an alligator lounging right in front of her Winter Garden home, early Thursday morning.
Broeker said the four-foot reptile just showed up. “I was panicked, really. Thank God for vigilant neighbors,” she said. “They let me know, I have two young, 19-month-old twins and a small pet, so I was really concerned about my children and my pets.”
However, Broeker’s home wasn’t the only place the alligator was interested in. “And then after about twenty minutes of watching it, it just picked up and started moving, and it started moving behind a lot of my neighbors’ houses,” she said. “I was having to ring their doorbells and let them know to stay inside.”
Concerned for the safety of her twin toddlers, the homeowner called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “It took them all of a minute to take care of it,” she said. “They assured me that they’re gonna relocate it to another pond.”
Now that it’s gone, Broeker is relieved, but she knows they’re the ones living in gator territory. “Unfortunately for the gators, there’s a lot of building out here, and they have nowhere to go, so they’re moving into our neighborhood lakes,” she said. “It’s just important for us to be vigilant and understand.”
Broeker said she looks forward to watching her children grow up safely — and, she hopes, gator free.
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