OVIEDO, FLORIDA: A man bravely rescued his pet dog when a huge alligator tried to harm it. As per reports, the incident happened on Friday, May 12, at Riverside Park in Oviedo when the man along with his partner and their dog was on a walk beside the Little Econlockhatchee River.
Lisa McDonald, communications manager for the City of Oviedo, spoke with FOX 35 and told the TV station that the predator was nearly 12 feet long. After it tried to kill the dog, its owner soon got into action and saved his pet from his mouth. Eventually, on Sunday, May 14, the large reptile was caught by an alligator trapper.
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‘A lot of them are in the neighborhoods’
Another alligator trapper Jerry Flynn, whose nephew removed the attacker, told WSVN-TV, “It seems like the Econ does hold a lot of alligators. A lot of them are in the neighborhoods and when the retention ponds get low or hot, then they tend to go back into the Econ. So, we stay kind of busy.”
The person who caught the alligator has been identified as Billy Girard as he posted a few photos of the beast on Facebook as well as the dog and wrote, "Mako a 3-year-old explosive detection K9 was attacked by this 12’6” gator at the city park. Luckily his owner Fisher Greene was able to rescue him from the gator's clutches and I was able to remove the gator before he could cause any more harm. Thanks to fisher, his gf Kylee and his dad Matt and his fire fighter crew for helping me load this big guy up. Mako should make a full recovery!"
Girad's post attracted a lot of reactions online with a user saying, "You’re a badass, Billy. I love seeing the photos of these monsters you catch. Thank Goodness Mako will make a full recovery. Amazing!" Another user commented, "What a great Trapper/Agent you are you must of learned from The Best!!!! Great Job Bill!" "Same spot where u killed that 13 footer a few years ago? That damn Econ has the biggest gators in the state I swear," the third one posted and the fourth one added, "So glad the pup is doing better and you got the gator! Hoping Mako has a fast and healthy recovery!"
‘You should never handle an alligator’
Meanwhile, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has issued a statement, which says, “People concerned about an alligator should call our toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). Generally, an alligator is deemed a nuisance if it is at least 4 feet in length and the caller believes it poses a threat to people, pets, or property.”
The FWC’s website also notes, “Alligators less than 4 feet in length are not large enough to be dangerous to people or pets unless handled. You should never handle an alligator, even a small one, because alligator bites can result in serious infection and it’s illegal. If there's an alligator under 4 feet in your swimming pool, on your porch, or in a similar situation, call the Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).”
As per the FWC, Florida has nearly 1.3 million alligators, and “the removal of nuisance alligators does not have a significant impact on our state's alligator population. Relocated alligators often try to return to their capture site." It adds, "They can create problems for people or other alligators along the way. If an alligator successfully returns, capturing it again would be necessary and likely more difficult the second time.”
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