'Only In Florida': 8-Foot Gator Results In 9-1-1 Call

A Florida resident had an "only in Florida" moment after an eight-foot alligator broke through her screen door, resulting in a 9-1-1 call.

Mary Hollenback was relaxing in her home when she suddenly heard banging on her screen door. At first, she thought it was someone trying to get into the wrong home, but soon enough, she realized a gigantic reptile was trying to enter her residency.

Florida is home to the American alligator, which is found throughout the state. Experts estimate that there are over 1 million wild alligators in Florida today, and one of them tried to find a new home in Ms. Hollenback's residence.

“So, I’m sitting on my sofa. It’s late in the afternoon. I’m just watching TV, and I heard my front door rattle, my screen door," she told WTVT-TV. "And I thought somebody who didn’t live here was trying to come in, thinking that they were probably in the wrong house because that happens frequently."

"I got off the couch and came around the door prepared to say, 'You're in the wrong place,' [but] by the time I got up and went near the front door, the gator was already inside."

Ms. Hollenback told the news outlet that although she had a magnetic closure, that didn't hold back the gator.

“He was pushing through that, and it broke the magnetic clasp," she said. "The door opened, and he just came in. I probably got no further, no closer to the front door, than you are right now. Just close enough to look and see that it wasn’t a person trying to get in; it was an alligator.”

Ms. Hollenback had two thoughts:

"One is, 'Oh my gosh, I have an alligator in my house,' and two is, 'Oh my gosh, I have an alligator in my house; how am I going to get rid of him?'"

She didn't know what else to do, so she thought to dial 9-1-1, but there was one issue: her phone was near the eight-foot gator.

“The only thing I could think to do was to call 911, but my phone was sitting on the end of the counter," she told the news outlet. "So, I had to get a little bit closer to him, grabbed my phone, and then went on the lanai and called 911.”

When the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office responded, the officer initially said he didn't believe Ms. Hollenback until he entered the home.

“The one deputy was really pretty funny because he told me that when he saw the report, he didn’t believe me until he walked in the house and saw the gator,” she told the new outlet.

“I was relieved. I was kind of shaken for a while, but you know, it’s like all my neighbors came out and were all talking about it, and it’s just become a really good story since then," Ms. Hollenback said.

"I mean, this story just keeps growing and growing. My 15 minutes of fame,” she said with a laugh. The gator measured 7 feet 11 inches long.

Alligators are considered a top predator and play an important role in Florida’s ecosystem.

According to the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, alligators "build nests and dig large holes that create a habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, especially during droughts." The large reptiles also have "complex social behavior, including elaborate courtship displays."

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission suggests following these safety tips:

• When working or relaxing near water, be aware of your surroundings. Alligators live in fresh or brackish water and are most active between dusk and dawn.
• Never allow children or companion animals to play unsupervised in or around waters that may contain large alligators.
• Observe and photograph alligators only from a distance.

Although alligators may seem intimidating, the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida claims they "are naturally fearful of humans and attacks are rare—typically occurring when people have unnatural interaction with alligators (such as feeding), disturb their territory or pose a threat to their young."