Alligator Loitering Outside Wendy's Is Hog-Tied and 'Taken Into Custody'

Hernando County Sheriff's Office reported how they had taken an alligator "into custody" on Wednesday after the animal was found in the parking lot of a Wendy's in Spring Hill, Florida.

The Sheriff's office said: "After receiving a call of an alligator loitering in the parking lot, deputies were quickly dispatched to assess the situation."

Enlisting the help of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the team was able to capture the alligator and remove it from the parking lot.

A spokesperson for the FWC told Newsweek: "On Aug. 31, an alligator in the parking lot at 4710 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, FL, Hernando County, was reported to the FWC. The 7' 8" alligator was removed by an FWC contracted nuisance alligator trapper."

Florida has a large alligator population, with the FWC reporting around 1.3 million gators across the state. Found in all 67 counties, the large reptiles live in fresh water and can weigh more than 1,000 pounds.

The lifespan of the American alligator is between 30 and 50 years, and they have been recorded to reach speeds of almost 20 mph in water.

The last fatal and unprovoked alligator attack in Florida was recorded in 2019 but a total of nine alligator bites were recorded in 2021 and 12 were reported in 2020.

Since records began in 1948, the FWC has recorded a total of 442 alligator bites, some superficial and requiring no treatment and others that required medical care beyond first aid or even resulting in death.

After the story of the parking lot visitor was shared on the Hernando County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, followers were quick to react and leave comments.

"Our Sheriff's Dept is the best of the best," said one commenter, while another joked, "All he wanted was a $5 Biggie Bag."

"Wait when did they start arresting gators," said another commenter.

To ensure the safety of alligators and the public, the FWC run the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) to proactively address gator threats in developed areas and conserve the animals in their habitats.

Generally, an alligator is deemed a nuisance if it is at least 4 feet in length and a resident believes it poses a threat to people, pets or property.

Florida residents concerned about an alligator can call the Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR and the SNAP team will be dispatched to resolve the situation.

The FWC confirm that they do not relocate alligators that are captured as part of the SNAP program. Partially as a result of the state's healthy population and also because relocated alligators will often try to return to their capture site, resulting in further issues.

"Removing alligators believed to pose a public safety risk is a service the FWC provides at no cost," said the FWC spokesperson.

"When a contracted nuisance alligator trapper removes an alligator, it becomes the property of the trapper. In most cases, including this one, the alligator is processed for its hide and meat, which is the primary source of compensation for their services.

"Occasionally, a nuisance alligator is sold alive to an alligator farm, animal exhibit or zoo. Nuisance alligator trappers receive a $30 stipend for each alligator captured. They work under contract with the FWC and are not state employees."

To avoid issues at the release site, alligators would need to be relocated to remote areas which often already have healthy alligator populations where resident gators will have already established social structures.

Introducing a newly relocated alligator can cause fighting and harm to resident or new animals introduced.

UPDATE 09/01/22 07.10 a.m.: This article was updated to include extra images.

UPDATE 09/01/22 10.40 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information from the FWC.