A Florida man received a rather unwelcome house call when he was attacked by a large alligator upon opening his front door.
Scott Hollingsworth reportedly told local police that he heard a noise outside his home in Daytona Beach on March 3, just after 9:40 p.m.
Upon stepping outside, his leg was grabbed by something that started shaking him violently. Not being able to identify the attacker, he initially thought it was a dog grabbing his leg, as no lights were turned on.
“I stepped back into the house and closed the door,” Hollingsworth said, as reported by USA Today.
He looked at his leg and noticed a huge gash on the side.
Hollingsworth was taken to hospital and needed surgery for his injury. He had planned to participate in the local ‘Bike Week’ event, which runs until March 12. Sadly, he says, despite all going well with his recovery, he is unlikely to be biking in the near future, he told reporters.
According to local police reports, state-certified trapper Curtis Lucas was contacted by Florida Fish and Wildlife officials to deal with the over 7-foot reptile.
When officials arrived at the scene, the alligator was still lurking in the vicinity of Hollingsworth’s home, hiding under a trailer, as reported by Yahoo.com.
Lucas then proceeded to euthanize the reptile.
Another attack from a Florida alligator, which is a serious potential danger to pets as well as humans, happened just weeks before in Fort Pierce, around two hours southwards.
An 85-year old woman, Gloria Serge, was killed as she was trying to protect her dog from a 10-foot, 700-pound alligator, while on a walk. The reptile dragged Serge into a lake outside her retirement home. The dog survived the gruesome ordeal.
According to Lucas, it’s alligator mating season. This means that Florida residents are likely to have more encounters during this time, as the reptiles are looking for females.
“They are out scouting looking for girls,” Lucas said.
