SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Trappers made a house call in Southwest Miami-Dade after an unwanted guest was spotted taking a dip in a swimming pool.
The Pesky Critters Wildlife Control organization was called out to a house located along West Calusa Club Drive, Sunday evening.
Todd Hardwick, the owner of the organization, said calls about alligators have been frequent in the last two to four weeks.
“We’re getting calls daily about alligator sightings,” said Hardwick. “This is the first alligator in a swimming pool so far this alligator season, but it’s a very normal occurrence. The alligator does not realize that a swimming pool is just not another pond.”
In the last few weeks, there have been three trappings done by the wildlife organization. The latest incident was on April 20 in Northwest Miami-Dade after an alligator was found wandering the parking lot of a warehouse in the area.
Just the day before, a gator was spotted in Cutler Bay before getting wrangled by the Paskey Critters crew.
Trappers said the 10-foot reptile likely left the lake he was living in search of a female, but due to the heat, he went swimming behind the home.
Hardwick’s colleagues were able to record the capture on video as he wrangled the scaly intruder.
They are currently looking for a place to take the gator to live in captivity. They can’t release it into the wild, because chances are it will come right back.
“Under Florida law, any alligator over four feet long will either be placed in captivity or the animal will be harvested,” said Hardwick. “We’ve made some phone calls tonight and there’s a good chance this gator may end up somewhere and live out life in captivity.”
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