Gator Takes Memorial Day Dip In Backyard Pool

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — Humans aren’t the only ones seeking an escape from the heat in the Tampa Bay area this Memorial Day weekend. A family in Sarasota County found that out the hard way when they went outside Monday morning to find a reptilian invader in their backyard pool.

The discovery of the interloper prompted the startled homeowners to pick up the phone and call the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for a little help. “Deputy Lori Clark was first to respond to the Plantation neighborhood where this healthy 7-8-foot gator was at the bottom of the family’s swimming pool,” the sheriff’s office reported on Facebook May 29. Luckily, the family members looked before they dove in, the sheriff's office noted.

Get the Patch newsletter and alerts in your inbox.

Just how the gator managed to make its way into the screened-in pool area wasn’t explained. The sheriff’s office did say the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was also called out, along with a trapper.

The gator is expected to be relocated to “a safer and more ‘appropriate’ location,” the sheriff’s office said.

With temperatures once again breaking the 90-degree mark throughout the Tampa Bay area, alligator sightings are becoming more common. While not many homeowners have reported gators invading their pools, the creatures have created some issues for motorists in recent days.

Earlier this month, an alligator wandered out onto State Road 674 in the Wimauma area, causing a serious wreck with a motorcyclist. The motorcycle’s rider suffered serious injuries in the crash. The alligator died following the collision. Numerous residents throughout the Tampa Bay area have also reported spotting the critters wandering through their neighborhoods in recent weeks.

The uptick in alligator activity serves as a reminder for Floridians and visitors to the Sunshine State to keep their eyes out for these creatures.

“All reptiles are more active in warmer months,” Gary Morse of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a previous interview. “The body temperature and activity levels of alligators and other reptiles is directly related to the temperature of their surroundings.”

Florida is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators. That means they’re likely to be found in all parts of the state, a message FWC tries to share frequently.

“You are likely to find alligators in almost every body of freshwater in the state at some time or another,” Morse said. “Alligators also frequent brackish waters and are sometimes found in saltwater where they will remain for short periods.”

See also: Alligator Snarls Traffic On Florida Expressway

The first rule of living with gators or visiting a state where they are so abundant, Morse said, is to “never approach an alligator – appreciate it from a safe distance.”

To help people stay safe around alligators, the state has created an educational brochure that Morse recommends all residents and visitors check out. “It’s imperative that people become informed about alligators and alligator safety,” he said. “Go to our website at MyFWC.com and read the Living With Alligators brochure.”

The state has also set up a hotline for people to call to report nuisance alligators. That number is 1-866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).

Photo via the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page