9-Foot Gator Broke Into Enclosed Pool At Venice Home

VENICE, FL — A Venice homeowner found an unexpected pool guest early Tuesday morning.

A Ring camera in Toscana Isles alerted the homeowner around 5:45 a.m. that a large gator was in their pool, the Venice Police Department said in a social media post.

The 9-foot, 4-inch-long gator forced its way into the pool enclosure by breaking through the screen before taking an early morning swim, police said.

The alligator was safely removed by a licensed gator trapper.

The gator breaking into the pool comes on the heels of several high-profile gator attacks around the state.

A 71-year-old North Fort Myers man is alive after fighting off an alligator with his fishing pole and with help from his bulldog earlier this month.

A 31-year-old Brittany Clark was killed at the end of last month while swimming in the Econlockhatchee River in the Little Big Econ State Forest with her best friend and her boyfriend

The gator bit her on the arms and performed a “death roll” on her, Patch reported.

A 19-year-old Rainbow River snorkeler was also hospitalized last month following a gator attack.

An 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy lost his hand after being bitten by a gator while fishing with his dad at Nelson Fish Camp in Marion County, People reported.

Alligator mating season begins each year in early April, first with courtship, followed by mating in May and June, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

By late June or early July, female gators build a mound nest of soil, vegetation or debris, and deposit an average of 32 to 46 eggs in it.

Incubation takes 63 to 68 days, and hatching occurs from mid-August to early September.

Venice police offered the following tips for living with alligators:

• Observe the animals from a safe distance.
• Keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge.
• Keep children away from ponds lakes, canals and other bodies of water

If you see a nuisance alligator, report it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's SNAP hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).

“Don't let your morning routine become a real "see you later, alligator" story,” police said. “While this gator was definitely trying to make a splash, remember to give these wild neighbors the space they deserve.”

See Also:

• FL Man Fought Off Gator Using Fishing Pole, Poking Its Eyes: Reports
• Woman Killed, Child Injured In FL Gator Attacks
• Woman Bitten By Gator While Swimming With Kids In FL Lake
• FL Man Bitten By 8-Foot Gator While Trying To Save His Dog
• Alligator Attack On Cow Prompts Closure Of Central FL Conservation Area
• Rainbow River Snorkeler Hospitalized In Alligator Attack