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Help! There's a gator in my kitchen!!!!

Living in Florida does have it's ups and downs. Second best place for finding paradise. And then there is the lighter side. Just when you thought you'd heard it all. LOL.

Imagine waking up to this bad boy in your kitchen???

The homeowner called 911 and this is how that went . . .

Dispatcher: What's going on?

Frosti: There's an alligator in my kitchen.

Dispatcher: Are you sure it couldn't be like an Iguana?

Frosti: Oh-no, no, no, no, no.

This alligator turned out to be 8 feet long. I would venture to say it would definitely be hard to confuse this bad boy with a Iguana.

Mr Wally Gator pushed his way through a screen door (probably a Lanai or Florida Room) and managed to get into the main house through an open sliding door. (I must remember to close my sliders at night from here on.)

Wally then began to wander about the house going through the living room, down a hall and ended up in the kitchen.

The homeowner hearing the noise, went to investigate and found the 8 foot Wally lounging in her kitchen. She smartly hid in her bedroom closet and called 911.

A trapper was dispatched to the home and captured the animal. It is thought Wally was looking for a midnight snack...the woman's cat. Fortunately the woman and her cat survived unharmed.

Springtime is mating season for alligators and we do get a lot of strange stories about alligators, but this one had to take the cake. Could this be used as a selling point on the house? I will be keeping closer tabs on that gator in the pond behind my house.

To see the video and hear the 911 call, click the link below.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/4/22/341817.html

Sure wish I could have used this for the Springtime Contest in POSITIVE ATTITUDE for the Weary Soul.

Posted by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor on 04/25/2008 08:08 PM

Comments (36)

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36 Comments on Help! There's a gator in my kitchen!!!!

I saw this on our local news. I bet people lock those back doors at night because of this.

04/25/2008 08:28 PM

by Steve Glose, Keller Williams Central Florida (Keller Williams)

Steve - thanks for commenting, and yes, I'm sure they are double checking those locks now.

04/25/2008 08:29 PM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

I saw this on the new last week. I bet that 911 operator feels pretty silly. I couldn't believe that iguana comment myself. I really don't know what I would have done if that was my house.

04/25/2008 08:31 PM

by Huntsville Alabama Real Estate Agent, Kimberly Grant (Exit Leon Crawford Realty)

Kimberly - thank you for the comment. I'm amazed that the woman kept her cool throughout this.

04/25/2008 08:33 PM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

Ugh! I am so glad we are high & dry here in Ocala. We went to Lakeview Terrace (a stair stepped elderly facility) a few years ago with a client and I mentioned that there was a gator by the waters edge. We are from NY but I have been to Florida several times, my husband has not. He said oh that is just decorative...I couldn't believe he was serious!!! The guide was shocked by the gators presence for the safety of the residence and shortly thereafter it was relocated! Great post but scary!!! And hey Bob that is a pretty fiery header! How did you do the lettering?

04/25/2008 08:34 PM

by Sara Homan (Coldwell Banker Ellison Realty Inc)

That is crazy!

Alligators have been the subject of conversation lately for my family. We're trying to teach our 2 & 3 year olds that they can never go by an alligator because there is one in the lagoon behind the house we are building. It is not an easy thing to explain!

It reminds me of another great picture! This happened in Sun City - Hilton Head

Credit Richard Holinski/Island Packet

Alligator at the Door!

04/25/2008 08:35 PM

by Jennifer Bell (Charter I Realty & Marketing)

What a great story. We just get crazed squirrels, possums and an occasional mouse. The alligator would be a little much. Do you have to have an alligator disclosure?

04/25/2008 08:40 PM

by Geoff Scowcroft (Coldwell Banker)

.........and people are scared of our Desert Wildlife :)

Anne

04/25/2008 08:42 PM

by Tucson Real Estate Experts Anne and Eddie McKechnie (Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage)

That is too wild! Don't see them up in my neck of the woods. Here there have been stories of black bears getting into homes. Not sure which is worse. They're both pretty bad!

04/25/2008 08:42 PM

by Jim Albano (Prudential Damiano Realty)

It is very funny showing property to clients because some are shocked that we have alligators. It is a huge thrill when they see one (or 4 on a bank in Sea Pines)!

04/25/2008 09:05 PM

by Jennifer Bell (Charter I Realty & Marketing)

Is that one above knocking on the door? I'm glad we don't have those here...we don't even have snakes...except at the zoo :)

04/25/2008 09:19 PM

by Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman (RA), HAWAII Real Estate & HAWAII Relocation (Century 21 Liberty Homes -Mililani, Hawaii)

That is ONE too many cooks in that kitchen!

04/25/2008 09:27 PM

by Kathy "Kat" DeLong, REALTOR (WINDERMERE FINE PROPERTIES/LAKE ARROWHEAD)

Bob- That would have been great to enter in the Spring Contest.....Birds and Alligators what's better than that............. LOL :) I too saw this on the news last night.

04/25/2008 09:33 PM

by Kathy McGraw ~ Calif Broker (CELLing Realty)

My family lived in West Palm Beach for about 6 months back in the late 60's. My father was a minister and pulled up on the church parking lot on a Sunday morning early greeted by an 8 foot smiley, sunning himself on the pavement. Quite a welcome to Florida for an Oklahoma farm boy like my dad. Needless to say, he moved us back to Texas after 6 months! LOL

04/25/2008 09:39 PM

by Steve Homer (The HBH Group (Keller Williams affiliate))

Hi Bob, I saw this on ABC News last night, what an eye opening experience. I love the line about "are you sure it's not an iguana?". Have a great weekend...

04/25/2008 09:41 PM

by The Blog Artist - marti garaughty (The Art Of Marketing You)

Unbelievable. I can't imagine what I would do in that situation. A large wolf spider freaks me out.

04/25/2008 09:46 PM

by Chris Ann Cleland, GRI (Long & Foster)

Morning Bob,

Like you, we have a gator in the lake behind our home. They don't bother anyone, it is their nature to fear humans. As long as folks don't feed them their fear will remain. They only eat once a month, so there is a good chance they aren't hungry as they sit there lQQking at you. LOL

Have a great weekend!

Hal

04/26/2008 06:59 AM

by Harold (Hal) Place (A1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

Bob...I heard about this on the news...I am trying to figure out how it got throught the door, or was it open???

04/27/2008 09:04 AM

by William Feela Whispering Pines Realty (Whispering Pines Realty)

Sara - Thank you for commenting. Yes, gators can be scarey.

I got my flaming text from www.flamingtext.com

Jennifer - Thanks for the comment, and the picture is awesome. I've seen similar pictures, but the one in your comment actually looks like he's trying to ring the doorbell. How comical.

Geoff - Thank you for commenting and no, we don't have a disclosure for alligators.

Anne - thanks for the comment, and yes, some of those desert critter can be pretty scarey too.

04/27/2008 11:28 AM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

Jim - Thank you for commenting and I don't know which I would be more scared of....black bears are pretty scarey too.

Jennifer - Thanks for the comment, and yes we do get a rise out of them when they see them. I had a woman tell me she didn't want to buy a house near water because she was afraid of alligators. I didn't tell her to buy one up north of alligator country. LOL

Sally - Thank you for commenting. I learned about the no snakes a couple years ago when we visited Hawaii. We did visit your Zoo there in Honolulu. Pretty cool place.

04/27/2008 11:33 AM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

Kat - thanks for the comment, and if that's one of the cooks in the kitchen, I'll eat elsewhere. LOL

Kathy - Thank you for commenting. Yeah, Birds and Alligators in second Paradise. What a title. LOL

Steve - Thanks for the comments. I thought the same thing when I first moved down here. Almost 15 yrs later, I have come to respect them, and know they have a natural fear of humans. Most times they just leave if they see us.

04/27/2008 11:38 AM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

marti - thanks for commenting, and yes it was an eye opener. And a double door check too. Oh yeah, the iguana like was a killer. I guess it is possible for a new person to make that mistake.

Chris - I've tried imagining how I would react myself....there's no telling.

Thank you for commenting.

Hal - thanks for commenting and you are right about their natural fear. But, how do we know who's feeding them these days. Too man boneheads out there.

William -Thank you for commenting. According to the news reports, it chewed or pushed through the screening on the back porch and wandered in though the open sliding doors.

04/27/2008 12:10 PM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

I'm glad i live here. I would pass out if i saw that. I'm going to pass along the link to my friends.

04/27/2008 02:08 PM

by Robert L. Brown~Grand Rapids Real Estate Flexit Realty, West Michigan (www.mrbrownsellsgr.com)

Robert - thanks for commenting. I'd be too afraid to pass out, I don't want to be a snack for Wally. LOL

04/27/2008 02:38 PM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

Whoa! What a story! That sounds so totally foreign to me. I'm so glad we don't have that problem in the Midwest! :)

04/27/2008 04:55 PM

by Debi Ernst, Real Estate Broker/Agent (Ryco Realty Group)

Well I can say that I have never had that kind of problem, and hope i never will.

04/28/2008 08:01 PM

by BART WHITMORE REAL ESTATE CONSULTANT (THE REALTY MARKETPLACE)

Debi - Thank you for commenting, and this is really not the norm. Alligators like most wild creatures have a natural fear of man. This one just got lost. LOL

04/28/2008 08:20 PM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

Bart - Thanks for commenting. I hope I never have that problem too. We have a small gator in the pond behind the house, and I'm constantly on the watch for him.

04/28/2008 08:21 PM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

Hi Bob. Great story. I think I'll take bears and bobcats anytime.

05/03/2008 09:20 PM

by Pam Dent -Charlottesville, Albemarle,VA horse farms, residential, country homes (Real Estate III)

Hi Pam, thanks for commenting. I'm just not so sure about the bears.

05/04/2008 11:33 AM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

Why does this seem like the beginning of a really bad movie? My goodness... and we have people freak over scorpions here- I can only imagine finding one of those in the house. :-)

05/11/2008 09:36 AM

by Chuck Willman, Arizona Realtor®, ABR, TRC (Gentry Realty & Investments)

Hi Chuck, thanks for commenting. Yeah, no matter where you go, there's some kind of wildlife no matter how big or small that people tend to fixate on.

05/11/2008 12:41 PM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

No gators out here in Oregon. I did have to chase a raccoon out of my car once!

05/11/2008 10:52 PM

by Portland Oregon Real Estate >> Wayne B. Pruner, GRI (Oregon First)

Wayne, thanks for the comment. You had a raccoon in your car?? Left the windows open?

05/12/2008 09:24 AM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)

I saw this on the today show i think.... what a freaky thing to have happened. Luckily there were no children or small animals around that could have gotton hurt.

05/12/2008 10:32 AM

by Naoma Doriguzzi -Wachovia Mortgage (Wachovia Mortgage, FSB)

Naoma - Thank you for commenting, and yes, it's lucky no one got hurt.

05/12/2008 02:47 PM

by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)