TAMPA, Fla. — A New Tampa homeowner called 911 around 3:30 a.m. on March 29, thinking there was a human intruder. Instead, Tampa police bodycam footage revealed a 9-foot-6 alligator lounging near the pool.
A licensed trapper safely removed the gator, and the family finally got some gator-free sleep.
That footage isn’t as unusual as it looks. We showed it to Captain Zach Carroll at Black Hammock Airboats on Lake Jessup in Oviedo. “It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Carroll said.
“Yep, it’s getting to that time of the year where all the big boys are thinking about finding a lady friend and they’re up and around moving.”
Alligator mating season runs from April through June in Central Florida. During this time, large males may travel far in search of a mate, sometimes ending up in neighborhoods. Carroll says that the Tampa gator likely just took a wrong turn. “I think that was probably a case of just taking a wrong turn,” he said.
While alligator attacks are rare, mating season can make gators more defensive. If you spot one, stay calm, give it space, and never feed it. Keep pets close to the water’s edge.
And if you need to get away? “I’d run as fast as you can in a straight line away from that gator,” Carroll advised.
See a nuisance gator? Call the FWC Nuisance Alligator Hotline: 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
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