Everyone’s looking for a piece of real estate in Florida, including 12-foot alligators.
An 11- to 12-foot alligator was recently discovered hiding out in a newly-built Florida home that was days away from seeing new owners.
“Sorry Mr Gator, that ones been SOLD. 😂. Babcock Ranch is a beloved place to live and love not just by families anymore 😆,” said the home’s listing agent Danette Larson in a Facebook post.
According to the Miami Herald, the gator was discovered inside the master bedroom of a home in Babcock Ranch, outside of Fort Meyers, by a window blinds installer, who then called trappers to remove the intruder.
“The wind closed the door and he was trapped. He went into every room and made his mark,” said project manager Matthew Goodwin to the publication. “I go look in … (the) house and there was the 12-foot gator!”
Video shows three trappers struggling to remove the gator from the home and load it into a truck.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, gators are more active during mating season, which runs from April through June depending on temperatures.
Florida has roughly 1.3 million gators, and they can be found in all 67 counties. However, if you see one where it’s not supposed to be, contact the FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
This post originally appeared at Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
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