Florida animal trapper plays with 'gator until it tires, pulls it from pool
(Paul Bedard via AP)
PARKLAND, Fla. – A Florida animal trapper says he corralled a large alligator by playing with it until it got tired after it hopped into a residential swimming pool.
Celebrity trapper Paul Bedard, who is contracted with the state’s nuisance alligator program, said Thursday that he was dispatched to a house in Parkland, Florida.
Bedard said he was able to pull the nearly 9-foot (2.7-meter) animal out of the water once it grew tired from playing with him in the pool on Wednesday. He put a snare on its mouth and taped it.
He described the reptile as “mellow” and named it Cool Hand Luke after the 1967 film starring Paul Newman.
Bedard said the alligator weighed 185 pounds (83.92 kilograms).
Bedard starred in Animal Planet’s reality show “Gator Boys.
View this post on Instagram
Got an e-gator call this morning about an 8 to 9 foot alligator in a swimming pool up in Parkland. The gator had walked through the screen and into the pool. I haven't had a good-sized gator in a swimming pool in probably a year, so I was kind of looking forward to this when I got the call. These are actually fun because the gator can't go anywhere and the water's almost always crystal clear. So all I have to do is jump in the water play around with him until he's tired and I can either hold his mouth shut and put a snare on it and tape it, or if he super energetic I can get him tired enough where I can just pick him up without the tape and carry him out in the yard and then tape him up once I get there. This guy was super mellow didn't really give me a hard time at all, I couldn't get him to spin on me he really wanted nothing to do with me. I simply made a frontal catch put a snare on his mouth and taped him up. Then finally got him to expend some energy.... I didn't want to pull him out of the water until he was tired, because he'll usually go into a death roll and smash himself up on the concrete or, if he's not taped, bite the concrete or something so it's always better to make him expend that energy in the water where is not going to get banged up. He ended up being 8 feet 8 in, and didn't really give me a hassle at all, it was basically as smooth and easy as it ever gets. Thank you Lord, much appreciated. #gatorboysalligatorrescue #gatorboys #rescue #animal #alligator #gators #gator #paulbedard #evergladesholidaypark #everglades #crocodile #croc #greatful #nuisancealligator
A post shared by Paul Bedard (@gatorboysalligatorrescue) on Oct 15, 2019 at 6:14pm PDT
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Big crowds for Boaters Skip Day means big law enforcement presence on the water Rising temps can also mean rising energy bills ☀️🌡️ JSO says identifiying human remains found in backyard could take months, if not years JSO finds human remains in backyard of Northside home after bone discovered on road Fetty Wap sends flowers to Trout Creek Academy principal after she was suspended over yearbook lyric The work on This Old Golf Cart continues, stripping and sanding Community rallies as family remembers woman killed in Bradford County house fire Big weekend ahead for Crustacean Nation! 🦐 Local legend, deadly crashes fuel mystery surrounding St. Johns County I-95 corridor Voices of the 904 Ep. 7 - This gamer is leveling up JAX creators through connection & community Drought improving but we're still behind, so when will we see rainfall again? Ready to build your future in the skilled trades? St. Augustine Beach police halt takeover plan amid ongoing teen trend St. Augustine mom shares warning after 7-year-old hurt in e-bike crash Former teachers at YMCA Tiger Academy ‘blindsided’ after learning they won’t return next school year JSO launches Wanted and Missing Persons web pages after success of Unsolved Crimes webpage Property tax plan heads to voters as local leaders warn of impact on police and fire funding Wealth Watchers helps families unlock the power of homeownership this June Prices to rise at pumps in Georgia as gas tax reinstated Jacksonville man who killed his girlfriend’s 5-month-old baby in 1996 executed 30 years later Previous video Next video
