9-Foot Alligator Knocks, Attacks Man After Opening the Door

A man from Florida had an unwelcome visitor that sent him to the hospital after leaving him with injuries.

Alligator Attacks a Man in Florida

Scot Hollingsworth, of Daytona Beach, was at home watching TV with his wife when he heard a slight knock at the door on March 4. He got up to check on it, NDTV reported.

He told local TV station WKMG that he headed over to the door and opened it. He stepped out while trying to reach the lights and barely got out of the door when he felt his leg clamped on and shaken violently.

It was dark outside, so he initially thought that a large dog had attacked him. Hollingsworth said he was shocked and suspected that the culprit - a 9-foot alligator - was as surprised as him with their unexpected encounter.

Hollingsworth said the incident happened very quickly. He added that they see gators behind their house and consider their encounters a regular thing. However, the alligators usually keep their distance.

The alligator bit him in the upper thigh, and he was taken to the hospital to treat the injuries. He is expected to make a full recovery.

What Happened to the Alligator?

A trapper called by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) found the gator and euthanized it. FWC explained that nuisance alligators are euthanized and not relocated because the population of gators in Florida is stable. Also, relocated gators usually try to return to their capture site or end up fighting with other alligators in their new habitat.

An alligator is considered a nuisance when it is at least 4 feet long and poses a threat to people, pets, or property. Mike Hileman, the director of the wildlife park, said they have already taken two nuisance gators this year.

He added that alligators could get very large and scary, but when one is educated and aware of their surroundings, co-existing with these beasts is possible.

Hileman discouraged the people from feeding alligators. He urged the people to stay distant from alligators and keep their pets on a leash and away from the water.

Other Alligator Attacks Reported

Earlier this month, a Florida homeowner shot a seven-foot alligator in the head four times when he caught it attacking his dog. The man fired while his dog was still between the gator's teeth.

FWC officials did not charge the man after thoroughly reviewing the incident. State wildlife officers took the carcass for proper disposal.

Science Times previously reported about another alligator attacking a dog. Duch, a German Shepherd from the Peace River K9 Search and Rescue (PRSAR) non-profit, was on a rescue mission when the alligator struck him in the right shoulder. They believed that the culprit was the 4-foot gator they saw in the area before the attack.

Meanwhile, an 8-foot alligator was spotted in the attic of a three-story home during an inspection. Dean Brown, a New Hanover County Building Safety code enforcement officer, thought it was a stuffed animal thrown in the attic as a joke.

However, when he shined his flashlight in its direction, the beast's eyes opened wide. It remains unclear how the reptile ended in the attic and how long it had been there.

Check out more news and information on Alligators in Science Times.