When they set out to investigate, they discovered their unexpected guest: a huge alligator, weighing about 550 pounds and measuring nearly 3 meters in length.
“He ripped through the screen to get to the nice, cool water,” the sheriff’s office said.
Sergeant Brad Stender told DailyExpertNews that such encounters with alligators are not uncommon, especially during the alligator’s mating season in the spring and summer — although this alligator stood out for its sheer size.
“This thing was just a monster,” Stender said. “It was huge.”
Police officers at the scene called a trapper. With the help of three officers, the trapper used a noose to pull the alligator out of the pool, then taped its mouth shut so it could be transported safely.
The trapper already had another 10-foot alligator in his truck waiting to be transferred to a safer area, so he had to put the reptile found in the pool into his trailer.
Stender told DailyExpertNews that this was just one of many alligator calls he’s responded to this week.
“I signed up to fight crime, here I fight dinosaurs,” said the officer.
The two alligators were both safely moved to the nearby town of Muse, which is “more conducive” to alligators, Stender said.
He advised people to “keep your distance” if you come across an alligator.
“They won’t attack you until you go to them,” he said. “Usually they go on their way.”
During the mating season of alligators, he noted, the animals become more active and travel in search of mates. This leads to a greater chance of encounters between humans and alligators, with the creatures showing up in pools, under vehicles and close to homes.
