Aggressive 10-Foot Alligator in Petersburg Captured; Expert Explains Increasing Sightings of Reptiles Before Mating Season

Alligators are common in Florida. However, a massive reptile alarmed the residents in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Aggressive Alligator in Florida

A huge alligator, 10 feet long and weighing 400 pounds, raised concerns among local residents for some time due to its aggressive nature. The St. Petersburg Police Department shared the incident in a post on its Facebook page on March 19. According to them, the beast had been coming too close to the kids playing in the area, showing no signs of being afraid of people.

Ken Knight, a spokesperson for the St. Petersburgh Police Department, told Newsweek that the alligator was approaching the shoreline when it heard the sound of the children and pets in the neighborhood and approached them. However, the residents were concerned about its aggressive nature toward the kids and pets.

A trapper was called to remove the gator on March 16. The local police force attended the scene to assist the trapper. They helped the trapper locate the gator in the water when it surfaced. They also assisted the trapper in hooking, dragging, and eventually capturing the beast.

Alligator wrangler Todd Hardwick, who owns the wildlife control company Pesky Critters, previously told Newsweek that it's not the breeding season yet, but we are right on the edge. He noted that it's the time of the year when gators start roaming around, climbing out of the rivers and canals, and taking a shortcut through the neighborhoods and roadways.

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This is the reason alligator sightings in residential areas have increased in recent weeks.

Hardwick advised the locals to give alligators a wide berth and call a professional to remove them if needed. For those with dogs and other pets, he suggested keeping them away from bodies of water and avoiding heavy and swampy vegetation.

Most importantly, he discouraged the people from feeding them because it would only condition the gators to come up to people, and that's when they become dangerous.

Alligator Spotted Crossing the Street

Hardwick has a point about alligators starting to roam around the neighborhood. Matt Devitt Wink Weather recently shared a video of a massive gator crossing the road in the Forest Glen Community in Naples Thursday.

The footage showed the reptile taking its time while crossing the street. The sight received mixed responses from the netizens, with some saying it was scary. One said the gator couldn't be stopped at anything he wanted because it was so big.

However, those who have already encountered huge alligators said it was normal and that gators would not usually bother people if they stayed away from them.

Dorothy James was sad about the changes in the area. According to her, based on the gator's size, it's probably old and has lived for a long time in the neighborhood, long before the people arrived there.

The alligators in Florida are agile. One was seen easily bending the fence before inserting its body between the bars to cross the barrier. Another was spotted climbing a fence at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville.