WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – A family pet was killed by an alligator Thursday evening in Winter Garden, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife.
FWC said that a woman was walking with her dogs near the West Orange Trail and East Crest Avenue when one of her dogs ran near the water while chasing ducks. The alligator is believed to have killed the dog once it reached near the water. FWC said that the alligator was also removed and killed following the incident.
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Shirliene Nevarro said she’s lived in the area for about a decade and said several large alligators call the area home as well.
“A lot of people are unaware, so they will kind of go in there and walk around. We try to warn them,” Nevarro said. “There’s a big one that’s about 10-12 feet over there. We stay away from that area because we know that he’s a pretty big alligator.”
Nevarro also said a large alligator was removed from a neighbor’s front yard back in April.
Neighbor James Green said with Lake Apopka nearby, he frequently sees gators while walking in the area.
“It’s easier for them to move around a little bit more, you know what I mean, ponds are getting over flooded, the retention ponds are getting over flooded, and some of the lakes and everything like that,” Green said. “It’s probably a little frightening at some point, especially if you are with a child or you know somebody that maybe can’t move that quick and all of a sudden you come around a corner and it’s there.”
FWC also warns people to never feed alligators because it could cause them to come near people more frequently.
FWC has a hotline set up at 866-FWC-GATOR to report any nuisance alligators.