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13-Foot-4, 900-Pound Gator Caught In Sanford

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 – updated: 7:44 am EDT October 18, 2007

A massive alligator is no longer threatening pets in a Seminole County neighborhood. The gator was caught Tuesday night on 17-92, just outside the Preserve at Lake Monroe in Sanford.


SLIDESHOW: Images Of The Massive, 13-Foot Alligator
RAW INTERVIEW: Trapper Talks After Catching Gator
ANIMAL NEWS: More Stories Of Animals In The News

Nuisance alligator trapper Jerry Flynn came eye to eye with the 50-year-old alligator's massive jaw and huge claws. The 13-foot-4, more than 800-pound gator is the largest one he's caught in the six years he's been a nuisance alligator trapper.

"He is a monster. Doesn't have a lot of battle wounds and he was likely king of his territory and probably didn't have a lot of competition," he said.

Flynn said the Sanford Police Department contacted him after they spotted the alligator near a swamp off of 17-92 in Sanford. It's just outside of the Preserve at Lake Monroe subdivision, where, according to Flynn, recently several missing pet reports have been coming from. The police department, however, said there were no reports of missing pets.

"I don't want alligators hurting little children. A lot of little children in this community," a resident told Eyewitness News.

Flynn said he had to get very close before he shot the gator in the head a couple of times with a bang stick.

"It's a very dangerous position with a 1,000-pound alligator that can jump how many feet? Who knows," he said.

The next stop for the alligator is a meat processor. The Florida Department of Agriculture said the total value for the alligator's meat and hide is around $1,000.

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