Living in Florida means making peace with a few realities – namely, hurricanes, election controversies and, of course, surprising encounters with the native wildlife. It comes with the territory.
But a Palm Coast woman’s recent run-in with an alligator was especially startling because she didn’t have to go far. The unwanted visitor just showed up at her door and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
According to ClickOrlando.com, the episode happened Thursday afternoon as Donna Heiss was getting home. She heard her neighbors warning her to get inside, and it didn’t take her long to figure out why.
Heiss posted two video clips of the encounter on Facebook, saying what all of us would be thinking if we found ourselves in a similar situation: "Not cool."
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Posted by Donna Heiss on Thursday, April 25, 2019
The gator, which measured about seven to eight feet long, can be seen in the video wandering around the porch, knocking on the glass door and even peering through a window at one point.
For Heiss, it was an encounter that was too close for comfort. She told ClickOrlando she was worried that the gator’s knocking might actually shatter the glass. "It frightened me so much," she said.
An animal trapper was called to handle the reptile.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said gators that are four feet long and believed to pose a threat are considered nuisances. If you see a nuisance gator, call 866-392-4286.