COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. -- Wildlife officials safely captured a 9-foot alligator in a residential area of Golden Gate Thursday morning.
The call came in around 6:30 a.m. reporting the reptile, while "kids were waiting nearby at their bus stop," according to the Collier County Sheriff's Office.
Trapper Ray Simonsen, Cpl. Jerrod Carver from the sheriff's office's Agricultural Unit and Cpl. Edward Costello worked together to get a hold of the 9-ft male alligator so he could be removed.
Emilie Perez said her grandmother was scared when the gator wondered into her yard.
“She was so scared,” said Perez. “She was extremely worried about the kids because the bus is literally right there.”
Perez said a bunch of kids get picked up at around 6:30 a.m. everyday, just a couple yards away from where the 9-foot alligator was found.
They said the gator made its way through their shrubs and that’s when Ray the Trapper rolled up and went to work.
“The gator was laying parallel to the house and I knew it was going to be a big guy,” said Ray.
In what the sheriff’s office called a “wrestling match,” they were able to help Ray capture the gator.
“They absolutely assisted in the capture of this animal,” said Ray. “It was team work, it was flawless.”
Ray said there’s been a lot of gator movement lately.
“In the past few days, I have personally captured quite a few gators that have been 10 foot in size,” said Ray.
Ray said this is a good reminder to be aware of your surroundings. If a gator wanders too close to your home, the best thing to do is call a professional to remove it.
No one was injured during the wrestling match.
