PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Before you go for a swim this summer, it's a good idea to see what else may be lurking in the water — even if it's your own swimming pool.
One Pinellas County woman was about to take a dip in her pool when she noticed a "not-so-little" alligator making itself at home. Luckily, she spotted it before she jumped in and gave the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office a call.
Four deputies responded and assisted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in removing the alligator and transporting it to a safe area.
"Here in FL, you do the stingray shuffle in the gulf and before hitting the pool you do the gator check. It's a part of life," the sheriff's office wrote in a post.
According to the FWC, an alligator may be considered a nuisance if it's at least 4 feet long and believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property. The agency uses contracted alligator trappers to remove any animals threatening public safety through its Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP).
Wildlife experts explain that they often remove alligators rather than relocating them as relocated gators often try to return to their capture site. Relocating the reptiles to remote areas could also disturb established healthy alligator populations, likely leading to fighting.
Florida has about 1.3 million alligators throughout the state, FWC adds.
Anyone concerned about a possible nuisance alligator should call the FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
You can find more resources about living with alligators at MyFWC.com/Alligator.