A Florida family found an enormous alligator chilling out in their backyard pool in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The family were awakened by a series of loud noises coming from their backyard, and found that the almost 11-foot, 550-lbs dinosaur had torn through the screen to get into the refreshing water, according to Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
The law enforcement officials were quick to secure the beast with a specialized alligator trapper, according to the New York Post. They were able to move the creature from the premises without anyone getting hurt, the outlet continued.
Alligator attacks are rarely fatal, and there have only been 401 registered alligator attacks in Florida since 1948, according to AZAnimals. Eight people have died of alligator attacks between 2010 and 2019, the website noted.
Officials have warned that strange behavior by these mega predators is likely on the rise with the start of mating season, the NY Post reported. (RELATED: Bad-A** Cat Gets Shot By Arrow, Believed To Have Taken Arrow Out By Himself)
Dolphin Attacks Trainer In Miami https://t.co/RrM2xmaVOx
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 13, 2022
A 12-foot, 504-lbs alligator is suspected of killing a Louisiana man in 2021 after his remains were found inside of its stomach, Live Science reported at the time. “A lot of human-alligator conflict occurs when alligators get provoked, both intentionally and unintentionally, or when alligators go after people’s pets,” an assistant professor of biology at the University of North Florida told the outlet.