10-Foot Gator Removed From St. Pete Neighborhood: Police

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A 10-foot alligator was removed from a St. Petersburg neighborhood, police shared in a Facebook post Thursday.

Officers helped a trapper wrangle and remove the 400-pound gator from the 3000 block of 59th Avenue S.

“Neighbors tell us it was getting too close to kids playing in the area and wasn’t afraid of people,” police said. “Hard to believe alligator trapping used to be part of the police academy requirements not too long ago! We’re happy to keep our distance and let the pro wrangle it in.”

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Gators are becoming more active as mating season begins. Courtship usually begins in early April, with mating taking place in May and June, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Female gators build their mound nests and lay anywhere from 32 to 46 eggs in late June or early July. These eggs hatch from mid-August to early September, FWC said.