13-Foot Alligator Captured In Florida Park Where Dogs Were Attacked By Gators

A 13-foot alligator was captured by wildlife officials Sunday from a public park in Sarasota County, Florida.

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office posted images of the animal on their Facebook page and wrote: “Animal Services Supervisor Carl Sellitti, Sgt. Tim Bauer and Deputy Rob Lowen assisted with the capture until a trapper arrived to take this big guy away.”

“According to Supervisor Sellitti, who has been with SCSO for 20 years, this may be the largest gator we’ve ever responded to,” the post added.

As of Monday afternoon, the post gained more than 2,200 reactions and 3,200 shares.

The animal was captured in Shamrock Park in Venice, which is the same area where two dogs were attacked by an alligator earlier this month. While one of the dogs died, the other has been missing since.

Susan Kosterman and Dr. Alan Knapp were walking the trails with their two German Shepherds — 6-year-old Rio and 5-year-old Lucy — in Shamrock Park earlier this month. The dogs were off the leash for a while and then went out of sight.

According to the report filed by Sarasota County Sheriff’s Deputy James Achille, “Knapp heard one loud yelp from one of the dogs and he heard splashing and saw Rio take off into the water. He then saw Rio come out of the water bleeding heavily from his neck and head area.”

Rio’s upper and lower jaws were crushed and he had several large puncture wounds due to which he was euthanized at a Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Port Charlotte, local daily Herald Tribune reported.

Deadly attacks on humans by alligators are rare in Florida. However, in June, the body of a woman was found hours after her arm was discovered inside an alligator in the state.

Police said the woman was last seen walking her dogs near a lake in the Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park in Davie.

Rob Klepper, spokesperson of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said evidences showed the woman was bitten by the 12-foot, 6-inch alligator.

A man saw the woman walking her dogs in the park and as soon as he saw the dogs wandering alone — one with a fresh wound — he called the police.

"The witness who called us went to the area where he thought that they had been walking, and he immediately spotted an alligator," Davie police Detective Vivian Gallinal said, ABC Local 10 reported.

Davie resident Edwin Gomez said, "They should have, at least, signs up, 'look out for gators and snakes,' because they have 'no swimming' signs, but no enforcement."

Other residents said alligators were known to roam in the area and also mentioned an incident where a pet dog, which was out in the backyard, had suddenly vanished.

In April, an abandoned 4-foot alligator was found in a fish tank at a New York City park. The alligator tried escaping from the fish tank when the officials arrived. It was captured and taken to a NYC Animal Control Center in Brooklyn.