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Pinellas Deputies Trap Wandering 6-Foot-Long Gator

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Pinellas County deputies wrangle the alligator into a patrol car.

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By RAY REYES of The Tampa Tribune and JOHN WINTERROWD of News Channel 8

Published: August 24, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Deputies responding to an animal nuisance call Sunday morning decided to not wait for trappers and instead took matters into their own hands when they discovered a 6-foot-long alligator wandering the streets.

"We went on top of it and duct-taped his mouth and put a blanket on him," Pinellas County Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Grundmann said.

Deputies used a rope to lasso the reptile, then wrangled the alligator into the back of a patrol car. The animal was found near 62nd Avenue North and 28th Street North in St. Petersburg and was taken to a pond away from the neighborhood.

Resident Russell Keller commended the deputies on catching the alligator and said the situation was too dangerous to wait for trappers.

"We had a lot of kids, a lot of dogs in the area," said Keller, who kept an eye on the alligator as he waited for deputies to arrive.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, alligators are usually considered a nuisance when they are longer than 4 feet. Smaller alligators tend to be scared of people and can't eat anything bigger than a turtle, the commission said.

Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.

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