Alligator In Yard

Florida Man Shoots 8-Foot Alligator For Attacking His Dog

Outdoor Life reported yesterday that a Florida man came to the rescue of his dog in just the nick of time as it was being attacked by an alligator. The gator reportedly had its jaws around the chocolate Labrador when the man rolled up and shot the gator in the skull four times. The incident occurred in the man’s own backyard as the gator slithered its way through a broken fence.

The story unfolded just north of Orlando. The unidentified man noticed his dog was acting weird when he let it out into the backyard. It started sniffing around and disappeared around the corner. The concerned man followed his dog and soon came face-to-face with a big aggressive alligator.

Florida Man Saves Dog From Attacking Gator

The gator quickly snapped forward and chomped down on the side of the dog’s head. Almost instantaneously the man responded by burying 4 rounds into the skull of the gator. The dog escaped with just a minor wound on one of its ears.

“I don’t even think there was a thought,” the reptile shooter told FOX 35 News. “I think it was – my heart just dropped, and I was like, ‘Okay, I have to go do something.’ So, I mean, you just spring into action and do what you have to do to save your dog. Twenty seconds later, probably would’ve had a dead dog.” 

An officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived on the scene quickly to dispose of the gator.

“The game warden said that most likely because it’s a breeding season – leading up to the alligator breeding season – a lot of the alligators are going to be out, and they’re going to be looking for potential mates,” the Florida man concluded. “They’re going to be a little more aggressive, so if you live anywhere near water, just make sure that you’re checking your yard because something like this can happen in a split second.” Fox 35 also shared a video report of the incident.

North Carolina Home Inspector Finds Surprise Alligator

A housing code enforcement official in North Carolina was looking for structural issues or other procedural violations earlier this week. He didn’t find any of that. But he did stumble upon an 8-foot alligator that had apparently taken up residence in the attic of a New Hanover County home. 

Dean Brown initially thought he was looking at a fake, stuffed, or decorative gator of some sort when he saw the reptile in the low light conditions of the attic. “He didn’t really move at first. He was kind of asleep, I guess. But once I shined my flashlight on his head, his eyes started to open, and he gave me a wink and let me know, ‘I’m alive,” WSMV 4 News shared the story first. 

Brown took a few quick pics and then backed away from the reptile. He then let a co-worker know what was going on and that he probably wasn’t going to finish his inspection. It’s believed that the gator snuck in through a backdoor that was left ajar.

“Nobody would believe me. I made phone calls. I told people around me, but nobody would believe me. One person did get around to going and looking. When he realized I was not joking, he was able to communicate with the rest of the workers on site to leave.”

Animal control arrived quickly on the scene and removed the gator. Though Brown said he’s encountered gators on the job before, he’s never seen one indoors. “Since then, I’ve been very cautious and peek in and look around. It was an experience that I’ll never forget.”