We've all heard about alligators in elevators, but what about alligators in the kitchen?
This is something one Florida resident recently experienced firsthand when an 8-foot-long alligator invaded his home and left him stranded in his kitchen.
It's officially mating season for alligators, so the giant reptiles are traveling far and wide, showing up at pools, golf courses and, apparently, as dinner guests.
Mary Hollenback of Venice, Florida, told USA TODAY that when her screen door rattled on March 28, she thought a neighbor had entered her home by mistake.
“So I came around the corner trying to tell someone that they were in the wrong place,” she said in an interview. “And lo and behold, there's an alligator on my front porch!”
Estrus:Here's what to do if an alligator shows up in your yard, pool, or neighborhood.No, I can't shoot.
Crocodile trapped in kitchen 'visibly upset'
Hollenback said she was shaking so badly from the intruder that all she could think about was calling 911.
In a statement shared with USA TODAY, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that it sent a nuisance alligator trapper to a private residence on March 28.
Hollenbach said the wooden floor was slippery and the reptile struggled to move, but somehow got stuck in the kitchen.
“He was just crawling forward and ended up getting stuck in my kitchen between the island and the refrigerator,” Hollenback said. “He was clearly upset.”
She lives in a neighborhood with several ponds and said the man may have wandered in from the pond across from her house.
The alligator was 7 feet 11 inches long and was transported to an alligator farm, FWC said. Rescue team video shows it took four staff members to push the crocodile into the back of a truck.
Crocodile breeding season begins in April
Such close encounters are likely to become more frequent in the coming months, especially in Florida, which is home to about 1.3 million alligators.
The breeding season for crocodiles begins in April and lasts until June. During this time, male crocodiles become more aggressive, and some will chase weaker males out of their territory.
Packed alligators can travel hundreds of acres of land and are more likely to show up in residential pools, golf courses, and gardens.
Contributors: Lianna Norman, Victoria Brown. USA TODAY Network
