Florida man heard a bump at his door, it was 9-foot gator and it bit his leg
DAYTONA BEACH - A man was bitten on the leg by an unexpected visitor, an alligator waiting right outside his door.
Daytona Beach resident Scot Hollingsworth was watching TV when he heard a bump at the door on March 4th.
"I jumped up and headed over and opened the door, stepped out while trying to reach the lights and barely got out the door and got my leg clamped on and (it) started shaking really violently," he said.
The 56-year-old was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries to his thigh from the 9-foot gator.
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Floridians can anticipate seeing more alligators than usual as the weather warms up. The reptiles are also most active between dusk and dawn.
People should keep a safe distance from gators at all times, keep pets on a leash, and swim only in designated areas during daylight hours. Also, never feed an alligator.
Florida is home to a total of around 1.3 million alligators, according to the commission's website. The agency routinely euthanizes so-called "nuisance" gators, which are 4 feet long or larger and pose a threat to people or wildlife. The commission says relocated alligators will usually try to return to the site where they were captured and continue to create problems, so they must be euthanized or rehomed to zoos or wildlife rescues.