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Alligator delays start at Osceola County elementary school

ST. CLOUD, Fla. — Students and teachers at an Osceola County school got quite a surprise when they arrived at school Monday morning.

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As students began arriving at Michigan Avenue Elementary school around 7:30 a.m., they found a 6-foot alligator blocking the entrance.

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The alligator, whom students named “Gary”, was safely removed from the doorway by a school resource officer.

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The alligator was later taken to a nearby pond and released.

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Matt Reeser

Matt Reeser, WFTV.com

Matt Reeser joined WFTV in 1998 as a news photographer and has worked for television stations in Kentucky and West Virginia.