Alligators in Kissimmee neighborhood pond concern for residents

Residents in an Osceola County community said they're worried alligators in a nearby pond are putting their children and pets at risk.

Natasha Adams said children in the neighborhood plus gators in a retention pond aren't a good combination.

“I don’t know if they were throwing rocks to get the gators attention or if they were just playing,” said Adams. “It just brings concern because they are very close to the edge of the water.”

Nearby resident Sheila Adkins said she was also concerned about the alligators.

“If it’s warm and not windy, he’s right there in the bank here sunning himself,” she said.

Signs posted around the pond in the Waterview subdivision in Kissimmee warn people about the reptiles.

Trappers working with Florida Fish and Wildlife took more than 12,000 complaints statewide last year about nuisance gators and removed a little more than 8,000 gators.

But they won’t remove an alligator just because it’s there.

FWC said if a gator is smaller than 4 feet, it’s usually not a nuisance because at that size they aren’t dangerous, and eat mainly fish and frogs.

An FWC spokesperson said a permit to trap a gator was issued last week.

Trappers must report to FWC if they remove any gators, but they don't have to do so immediately, so at this point, FWC said it’s unclear if any alligators have been removed.

Neighbors want action soon and said the signs aren’t enough.

The neighborhood's homeowners association said it follows FWC's direction when it comes to removing alligators.

Residents can always report problem gators to the nuisance alligator hotline.

Cox Media Group