MIAMI (WHDH) - A 9-foot alligator was caught walking through a Miami neighborhood on Friday.
The alligator gained a lot of attention in the neighborhood and people definitely had a lot to say about what they saw.
“That’s a big boy, I don’t know how he got this far,” said Ricardo Victorero, who lives in the area. “He got lost here in Miami, lost in the neighborhood. Take him back out to the wilderness.”
The alligator got very close to homes, putting Maria Mendoza in a tricky and dangerous situation.
“My neighbor across the street called me and said ‘don’t step out your front door’ I thought she was kidding,” Mendoza said. “I go ‘why?’ and he goes ‘there’s an alligator in front of your yard’ so I said ‘yeah, very funny.'”
Neighbors took time to snap pictures and record videos of the alligator before police and wildlife officials arrived.
“I’ve been in this house for 30 years,” Mendoza said. “Never, ever had this happened.”
Todd Hardwick trapped the gator and said that it is definitely alarming for homeowners here to see.
“This was fairly a typical thing for a trapper to see and that’s a large alligator coming out of a canal and taking a shortcut to another waterway,” Hardwick said.
The main concern was for children and pets in the area.
“Even if you do not live on a lake or canal, you could find another alligator in your garage carport or driveway which is basically what happened here today,” Hardwick said.
Wildlife officials say all of the recent rain is likely leading alligators to move around more.
They are reminding everyone to be on the lookout and if you see an alligator, keep a safe distance and call police.
“Only here, only in Miami,” Mendoza said.
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