The weather in Florida is heating up quickly this spring, kicking off an early alligator breeding season. That means it won’t be unusual to see the gators on golf courses or cruising suburban streets, as happened this March when a 10-foot gator shocked residents by sauntering through an upscale gated community in Naples.
In Daytona Beach, Scot Hollingsworth got the surprise of his life one recent night when he answered what he thought was a knock at the door. Opening it, he had barely stepped onto his porch and was reaching for the lights when a 9-foot alligator clamped onto his leg and shook it violently. He said he thought it was a dog at first but when the animal released him, he quickly realized what it was before stepping back into the house and slamming the door shut.
One place that it is especially common to find alligators is in swimming pools, both outdoors or enclosed. That’s where Stone Island pool owner Lynn Tosi found her unwelcome 400-pound guest when she got up in the morning this March. To her horror, the 11-and-a-half-foot alligator had burst through her lanai and was chilling in the pool. “He busted right through there, kind of like the Kool-Aid man, you know,” she said.
And where alligators may be the norm for springtime in Florida, this time of year also brings bears, deer, moose, and a variety of other wild animals to pools and hot tubs in other regions of the country.
A Colorado man was relaxing with his wife in a hot tub when he was suddenly attacked by a mountain lion. The man said he felt something grab his head while he was in the inground spa around 8 p.m. March 18. The couple screamed at the animal and splashed water at it, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials said. The wife shined her flashlight at the cat, and they continued screaming at it until it retreated to the top of a hill, where it crouched down and continued to watch them. They ran inside the house and called for help. The lion was long gone by the time the CPW arrived and attempted to trap it. The man escaped with minor scratches.
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While sipping his morning coffee, pool owner Tim Kelly in Tampa found this cutie taking a dip. Photo credit Fox News 13.
