Photo:Lee County Sherrif’s Office/FacebookMany are heading to the malls for some last-minute holiday shopping — including a large alligator.The Lee County Sheriff’s Officeannounced on Facebookthat its deputies were called in to remove a 12-foot, 600-lb. alligator at Coconut Point Mall in Estero, Florida, on Thursday.The department said it worked with theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(FWC) to safely remove the alligator from the premises, and shared a video of at least half a dozen officers and volunteers helping to transport the alligator from the premises.In the video, the department showed the authorities picking up the alligator from the ground. Officers could be seen pulling up the alligator from its legs and its very long tail as they put it in the bed of a truck.“There truly is never a dull moment while on patrol here in Lee County, eh?” the department said in the post. “If you’re chompin’ at the bit to get into law enforcement, we promise excitement and a great workout here at #TeamLCSO.”The department also shared a photo of officers posing next to the captured alligator next in the grass outside of the mall near a marsh. In the photo, the alligator was tied up in ropes as they squatted down for the photo.The department did not say where the alligator may have come from, but noted to local stationABC7that the large gator would be transported to safer waters.This hasn’t been the only alligator spotted in Florida neighborhoods this year. According toWTSP, a 7-foot gator was spotted on a public walking trail in the Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs, forcing a closure in the area until they removed it. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office joked, per WTSP, that it was “probably prepping for Thanksgiving dinner like the rest of us.“In a more somber incident in September, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office shut down a section of a street in Unincorporated Largo, Florida, after someone called the authorities saying they saw analligator carrying a person in its jaws. They eventually located the alligator near a waterway and removed it.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.American alligators are commonly found in freshwater lakes and slow-moving rivers and in brackish water habitats, but rarely in salt water, according toFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.It noted that the largest male alligator spotted was a 14-foot 3 1/2-inch male from Lake Washington in Brevard County and that alligators primarily eat rough fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals and birds.
Photo:Lee County Sherrif’s Office/Facebook
Lee County Sherrif’s Office/Facebook
Many are heading to the malls for some last-minute holiday shopping — including a large alligator.The Lee County Sheriff’s Officeannounced on Facebookthat its deputies were called in to remove a 12-foot, 600-lb. alligator at Coconut Point Mall in Estero, Florida, on Thursday.The department said it worked with theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(FWC) to safely remove the alligator from the premises, and shared a video of at least half a dozen officers and volunteers helping to transport the alligator from the premises.In the video, the department showed the authorities picking up the alligator from the ground. Officers could be seen pulling up the alligator from its legs and its very long tail as they put it in the bed of a truck.“There truly is never a dull moment while on patrol here in Lee County, eh?” the department said in the post. “If you’re chompin’ at the bit to get into law enforcement, we promise excitement and a great workout here at #TeamLCSO.”The department also shared a photo of officers posing next to the captured alligator next in the grass outside of the mall near a marsh. In the photo, the alligator was tied up in ropes as they squatted down for the photo.The department did not say where the alligator may have come from, but noted to local stationABC7that the large gator would be transported to safer waters.This hasn’t been the only alligator spotted in Florida neighborhoods this year. According toWTSP, a 7-foot gator was spotted on a public walking trail in the Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs, forcing a closure in the area until they removed it. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office joked, per WTSP, that it was “probably prepping for Thanksgiving dinner like the rest of us.“In a more somber incident in September, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office shut down a section of a street in Unincorporated Largo, Florida, after someone called the authorities saying they saw analligator carrying a person in its jaws. They eventually located the alligator near a waterway and removed it.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.American alligators are commonly found in freshwater lakes and slow-moving rivers and in brackish water habitats, but rarely in salt water, according toFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.It noted that the largest male alligator spotted was a 14-foot 3 1/2-inch male from Lake Washington in Brevard County and that alligators primarily eat rough fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals and birds.
Many are heading to the malls for some last-minute holiday shopping — including a large alligator.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Officeannounced on Facebookthat its deputies were called in to remove a 12-foot, 600-lb. alligator at Coconut Point Mall in Estero, Florida, on Thursday.
The department said it worked with theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(FWC) to safely remove the alligator from the premises, and shared a video of at least half a dozen officers and volunteers helping to transport the alligator from the premises.
In the video, the department showed the authorities picking up the alligator from the ground. Officers could be seen pulling up the alligator from its legs and its very long tail as they put it in the bed of a truck.
“There truly is never a dull moment while on patrol here in Lee County, eh?” the department said in the post. “If you’re chompin’ at the bit to get into law enforcement, we promise excitement and a great workout here at #TeamLCSO.”
The department also shared a photo of officers posing next to the captured alligator next in the grass outside of the mall near a marsh. In the photo, the alligator was tied up in ropes as they squatted down for the photo.
The department did not say where the alligator may have come from, but noted to local stationABC7that the large gator would be transported to safer waters.
This hasn’t been the only alligator spotted in Florida neighborhoods this year. According toWTSP, a 7-foot gator was spotted on a public walking trail in the Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs, forcing a closure in the area until they removed it. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office joked, per WTSP, that it was “probably prepping for Thanksgiving dinner like the rest of us.”
In a more somber incident in September, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office shut down a section of a street in Unincorporated Largo, Florida, after someone called the authorities saying they saw analligator carrying a person in its jaws. They eventually located the alligator near a waterway and removed it.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
American alligators are commonly found in freshwater lakes and slow-moving rivers and in brackish water habitats, but rarely in salt water, according toFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
It noted that the largest male alligator spotted was a 14-foot 3 1/2-inch male from Lake Washington in Brevard County and that alligators primarily eat rough fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals and birds.
source: people.com
