Reptile who may have lost limbs in a fight with another predator sought refuge on the porch of a home in Tampa.
Shelter in place: an alligator finds a shady doorstep in Tampa (Croc Encounters)
A Florida family found an unpleasant surprise waiting on their doorstep recently when a nearly 9-foot alligator decided to make itself comfortable.
The massive reptile was resting on the shady Tampa doorstep when he was spotted by the home’s residents in the early morning of June 30, according to local wildlife sanctuary, Croc Encounters.
Croc Encounters said they responded to an emergency call and discovered the 8-foot, 9-inch reptile laying on the doorstep.
“Despite [the family’s] efforts to get him to move, he refused to leave,” the reptile rescue facility said. “He was not too happy to be evicted from his comfortable, shady spot as he smashed everything in sight upon exiting.”
The alligator may have been seeking sanctuary at the family’s home because he was missing two limbs. Croc Encounters said they believe the injuries could have been a result of the wild reptile getting into a fight with another alligator — but noted that it “did not stop him from getting around.”
Prior to the rescue, the reptile was “drawing a crowd ” as neighbors and local residents rushed to the Tampa home.
The family even went out of their way to notify delivery drivers of the potentially-dangerous encounter, leaving signs on what appears to be their garage door that read “Delivery Stop! Leave Packages here! ALLIGATOR at front door!! (seriously)”
Though alligators are considered shy animals that usually avoid human contact, population growth and the tourism industry have increased the frequency of human-alligator interactions in Florida, according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension.
When encountering an alligator, officials advise leaving the reptile alone and to avoid feeding them. In the unlikely event that an alligator charges — usually because a human is too close to its nest — people should run away quickly and in a straight path, UF stated.
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