CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — Everyone needs to cool off in the Florida heat — apparently, even the alligators.
One family in Charlotte County woke up to some loud noises on their lanai and walked outside to find an unexpected guest taking a dip in their pool.
The sheriff's office shared photos of the gator making itself right at home on the pool's surface. The reptile apparently measured 10 feet 11 inches and weighed in at a whopping 550 pounds.
"Always check your pool before diving in!" Charlotte County deputies wrote on Facebook.
The alligator tore through the screened-in lanai to get into the water, according to the post.
Unfortunately for the alligator, its pool day was short-lived. Photos show deputies assisting a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission state alligator trapper in wrangling the animal with a tool.
According to the FWC, an alligator may be considered a nuisance if it's at least 4 feet long and believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property. The agency uses contracted alligator trappers to remove any animals threatening public safety through its Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP).
Wildlife experts explain that they remove alligators rather than relocating them as relocated gators often try to return to their capture site. Relocating the reptiles to remote areas could also disturb established healthy alligator populations, likely leading to fighting.
Florida has about 1.3 million alligators throughout the state, FWC adds.
Anyone concerned about a possible nuisance alligator should call the FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).