A Florida woman had an unwelcome guest over the weekend, when a nearly eight-foot gator broke into her house.
Mary Hollenback told NBC affiliate WFLA she was watching TV in her Venice home on Sunday afternoon, when her front door began rattling.
Hollenback was expecting to see an intruder, but instead, was met by a scaly surprise: a 7-foot-11 alligator.
“My mindset was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, I have an alligator in my house,’ and at the same time, I’m thinking, ‘I have an alligator in my house, how am I gonna get rid of the guy,'” Hollenback said.
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She says the front door had a magnetic closure on it, so the gator just pushed right through, making itself at home and eventually making its way to the kitchen.
Hollenback later realized her cellphone on a counter, inches away from the reptile, so she cautiously walked closer to grab the phone and call 911.
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office was quick to respond, along with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers, who safely removed the gator.
Local
Anyone who sees an alligator that appears to be a threat should call the FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 1-866-FWC-GATOR.
