Getty Image / Dgwildlife
There are an estimated 1.3 million alligators in Florida at any given time. They are found in all 67 counties throughout the Sunshine State and the saying goes that if there’s a lake (or pond) in Florida, it’s only a matter of time before there’s an alligator in it.
Looking at Lexington Middle School in Ft. Myers, Florida on Google Maps, it is pretty much surrounded by ponds and lakes in every direction. There are no less than 40 ponds in close proximity so there are surely a lot of alligators in the area.
This all sounds pretty similar to my H.S. in Sarasota where I once found an alligator in the men’s bathroom between classes. Except in that instance, we just left the door open and it left. In this case, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was called to capture and remove the feisty 7-foot alligator that showed up at the middle school drop-off area.
Florida Police Remove Feisty 7-Foot Alligator From Middle School
Here are two videos shared by Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno:
This 7 ft. gator greeted students during drop-off at Lexington Middle School this morning! 🐊
SRO K9 handler Jennings,a former gator trapper, wrangled the visitor.
The alligator was taken by FWC where it will be relocated to a safe area pic.twitter.com/rxdyOtXgdq— Carmine Marceno – Florida’s Law and Order Sheriff (@SheriffLeeFL) August 24, 2022
And
See you later, alligator!🐊 pic.twitter.com/DMC4F7gd2z
— Carmine Marceno – Florida’s Law and Order Sheriff (@SheriffLeeFL) August 24, 2022
At least one local parent was thankful for the officers removing the gator.
Oh my 😬 That’s where my son goes to school! Thank you Lee Sheriff’s and FWC for watching out for our kids and getting this gator back to a more suitable habitat 👍
— Melanie B (@melanie_ab93) August 24, 2022
What an interesting skill for a SRO to have. Glad he was in the right place at the right time.
— Jpa nek (@NekJpa) August 26, 2022
Alligator activity in Florida
Thankfully, alligator mating season in Floridas has passed. It typically runs across May and June, give or take a few weeks. So in all likelihood, the gator was just on its way from one pond to the next and accidentally walked through the middle school on the way.
Gator activity has been pretty hot lately in Florida, even past mating season. This footage went viral last week from a visitor to Silver Springs State Park. A paddleboarder captured a cannibalistic encounter where a massive alligator was eating a small one.
Cannabalism is rare in alligators but it’s estimated that about 7% of juvenile alligators are eaten by their larger counterparts.
It is also incredibly common to run into these reptiles on Florida’s golf courses. Give them space and everything should be fine.
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A wildlife photographer captured footage of what it would be like to get swallowed by an alligator https://t.co/UTpVtUG7mG
— BroBible (@BroBible) May 3, 2022