Massive alligator caught roaming path used by schoolkids in Florida suburb, cops say

Male alligators average just over 11 feet in length, so it was startling when Florida deputies encountered one 12 feet, 6 inches long on a neighborhood foot path.

It happened Tuesday, May 14, on 46th Avenue in Pinellas Park, a largely residential area about a 20-mile drive southeast of Tampa.

“A caller reported a large gator walking along Joe’s Creek near .... on a path children often take to and from school,” the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“When deputies arrived, they found this absolute dinosaur and promptly called FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife) for assistance.”

Video shows the alligator lumbering along a chain-link fence, possibly looking for a way to the other side.

The unpaved path it trod is about six blocks west of Hollins High School, which has about 1,800 students in grades 9 through 12, USnews.com reports.

A state licensed alligator trapper arrived just before 9 a.m. and several “fearful” deputies assisted in keeping the reptile still while its jaws were taped shut.

That was handled by the trapper, who is seen in the video sitting on the alligator’s back.

The sheriff’s office says it was “relocated to an area in South Florida.”

While 12 feet, 6 inches is considered big, Florida has seen bigger gators, according to FWC. The state record is 14 feet, 3 1/2 inches for a male caught in Brevard County’s Lake Washington, the state says.

There’s a separate weight record: A 1,043-pound (13 feet, 10 1/2 inches long) male gator was caught in Alachua County’s Orange Lake, FWC says.

This story was originally published May 16, 2024 at 12:50 PM.