OVIEDO, Fla. (WSVN) — A dog was attacked by a 12-foot-long alligator in the Econ River Wilderness Area in Oviedo, a city northeast of Orlando, but trappers said it was not even the biggest they have encountered in the area.
Alligator trapper Jerry Flynn said the econ, short for Econlockhatchee River, seemed to hold many massive gators as he tracked another large one before. His nephew, who works for him, was the one who took down the nuisance gator.
“It seems like the Econ does hold a lot of alligators,” said Flynn. “A lot of them are in the neighborhoods and when the retention ponds get low or hot, then they tend to go back into the Econ. So, we stay kind of busy.”
As the giant reptile lurked when a couple was walking their dog, the alligator targeted its prey and snatched the canine.
Flynn said the gator could have easily taken down a human.
“We knew that it was a dangerous alligator, a very large alligator,” said Flynn.
In a situation like this one, he said they kill the alligator and harvest it.
“We sell the meat and the hides,” he said. “That’s how we actually make a living. We don’t get paid by the state.”
The dog is being treated at a local vet. Meanwhile, a permit was issued to trap the gator to have it removed.
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