Alligator spotted near Florida post office captured in resident’s back yard

Nov. 05: A Florida police department said an alligator reported wandering near a post office was captured in a resident’s back yard.

The Mexico Beach Police Department shared photos on Facebook of the 4-foot-long alligator captured by Officer Brenna Hauversburk.

“A call came in from the post office for an animal complaint,” Hauversburk told WJHG-TV.

Hauversburk responded to the scene and soon caught sight of the culprit, a 4-foot-long alligator. “I saw it right in the tree line,” said Hauversburk, “Right here in these people’s backyard.”

“It was just sitting there [in the backyard of a resident’s house] at the moment waiting for us to come get it,” Hauversburk said. “I hooked the lasso on the end of the trash grabber, slipped it over his neck, and just held on cause he put up a nice fight.”

Chief Anthony Kelly gave the alligator a quick exam with a stethoscope before turning the animal over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

“I just wanted to make sure the heartbeat sounded like a heartbeat,” Kelly said, “Not that I’m a doctor.” Kelly said he found out a local family had allowed children to feed the alligator a chicken wing attached to some fishing line.

“The location we’re standing up now, unfortunately, people have attempted or have in fact fed the alligator,” Kelly said. “It was looking for food because it’s used to being fed which it should not be.”

The FWC released the alligator a safe distance away from residential areas, officials said. Upi.com