An alligator about 9 feet tall was lurking in a small pond when a dog without a leash went for a swim near the Arboretum at Constitution Park on Thursday in Deerfield Beach.
The alligator surfaced in the water, opened its jaw, snatched the 3-year-old dog, and swam away, the woman who owned the dog reported, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“Out here in Deerfield is still surprising,” Andrew Clements said.
The FWC deployed a nuisance alligator trapper to the pond hours later and he removed the alligator near to where children and pets frequently play, according to the FWC.
The dog turned up dead on Friday. Sheila Kramer, who lives nearby, recorded a video of the alligator after the trapper caught it. She said she had never seen one there.
Earlier this year, in February, an alligator killed an 85-year-old woman who was defending her dog from an alligator attack in St. Lucie County.
The FWC nuisance alligator asked anyone in need of his help to call 1-866-392-4286.
Here is a list of FWC safety tips:
- Keep a safe distance if you see an alligator.
- Keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge. Pets often resemble alligators’ natural prey.
- Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.
- Never feed an alligator. It’s illegal and dangerous. When fed, alligators can lose their natural wariness and instead learn to associate people with the availability of food. This can lead to dangerous circumstances for yourself and other people who could encounter the alligator in the future.
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