iStockphoto / quackersnaps / William Morgan / ArendTrent
Large Florida alligator inside a swimming pool with a Gators in area sign nearby
Alligators are an everyday sight here in my home state of Florida. The old adage goes that if you see a body of freshwater in Florida then chances are there’s an alligator in it because it’s always best to assume there is.
That said, one place you never typically expect to find an alligator is in a swimming pool. Even in my hometown of Sarasota near where this occurred, I see alligators everyday and I have never found one inside my pool. But just down the road in Sarasota County, in Nokomis, one home owner found an absolute unit of a 9’4″ alligator in their pool.
Are Alligators In Swimming Pools A Common Occurrence In Florida?
Long story short, no. It is not common to find alligators in pools in Florida. A huge part of that is the vast majority of homeowners have screened in ‘cages’ around their pools to keep insects away so they can enjoy the pools year-round. I myself don’t have a cage on my pool and we live on a pond/small lake where alligators can regularly be found but to date I’ve only found turtles and the occasional snake in my pool, never an alligator. Yet.
At around 5:45 AM in the Toscana Isles neighborhood of Nokomis, just north of Venice in Sarasota County, the homeowner spotted a 9 foot, 4 inch alligator in their pool on their Ring security camera. The Venice Police Department was called in to remove the alligator and shared photographs of the gator straight chilling in the pool.
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An alligator wrangler was able to humanely capture the gator and get it out of the pool area and out to the street. Once there they were able to relocate it to somewhere safe. The Venice PD’s advice following the nuisance alligator removal was “Don’t let your morning routine become a real “see you later, alligator” story. 😅 While this gator was definitely trying to make a splash, remember to give these wild neighbors the space they deserve. 🐊”
This incident comes just days after a 31-year-old woman was fatally attacked on the Econlockhatchee River by a 13-foot alligator. Officers reported this week that DNA lab results confirmed the 13-foot alligator was responsible for the fatal attack as a 12.5-foot alligator was also found in the area.
Another attack occurred days after that when a 71-year-old Florida man was able to fight off an attacking gator by using his fishing pole.
It is always crucial to exercise caution when in nature and treat wild animals as exactly what they are, wild. Keep a safe distance and always honor boundaries.