SARASOTA, Fla. (WSVN) — A massive reptile was removed from a pond in Western Florida. It was done as a safety precaution since this is the time of year alligators are most active.
“He was a monster gator,” said a resident.
It was an experience residents of Saratoga Place Apartments in Sarasota will not forget after their encounter with a massive 11-foot gator right in the middle of gator mating season.
“The maintenance guy gave us a phone call that there was a guy reeling in a gator back here,” said Matt Laporte, a Sarasota resident. “We came back and it was just one guy and there was, I mean, he was about a 700 pound gator, so we basically helped him reel it in and pulled him out of the water and threw him in the back of the pickup truck.”
After using a lot of strength and muscle, the trapper, with the help of others, finally wrangled the gator out of the water and secured it on the back of a pickup truck.
One of the residents captured the whole experience on camera.
“I’m from California originally,” said Mike Schulz. “Just being in Florida and seeing gators is a brand new experience for me but it was unlike anything I experienced before.”
Some residents chalked this up as another Florida experience.
“It’s just fun, it’s just something you don’t get to do being from up north not being from around here, it’s definitely cool,” Laporte said.
The gator was relocated to a ranch in Punta Gorda.
And remember, it is mating season, so stay away from the active animals.
If you have any concerns, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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