Alligator Removal in Orlando Florida

01.19.2004 - As a wildlife removal specialist working in the state of Florida, I hear the same initial reaction from northerners again and again. When I tell that what I do for a living, the first thing out of their mouth is, "Wow, so you mean, you trap gators and (stuff)?" Gators, gators, gators, that's all anyone cares about, is gators. No doubt the sensationalist stylings of Steve Irwin the Crocodile hunter, and other such critter mavericks on TV have taught people to think that every fellow who dons a khaki shirt and goes after wild animals is wrestling six gators before lunch.

The truth, as is often the case, is a bit more boring. I mostly deal with the less exciting critters, like squirrels in attics, for instance. Alligators just aren't commonly a problem, and when they are, wrastlin' aint the way to deal with them.

This isn't to say that I don't get alligator calls. I do, all the time. However, it's usually a fresh transplant from Connecticut, who gets all excited about the harmless 5-footer in his local retention pond, is certain that his poodle, Fluffy, is going to get eaten, and calls me out to jump in the water and emerge with the gator. When such a call occurs, I tell the person that I don't handle gators. Not because I don't want to help, but because I don't handle gators. They are specially regulated by the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission http://www.floridaconservation.org/. One must possess a special permit issued by the commission to trap and handle alligators, and I have no interest in it. The permit is hard to get, the alligators are hard to get, and I suspect that any money for the services would be hard to get as well. Since I don't do it, if you have an alligator problem in the state of Florida, call 1-866-FWC-GATOR.

As for the above photo, I was in a neighborhood when a lady started shrieking about an alligator under her car, so I just went over and grabbed it, took a few photos, and released it in the nearby lake. How did I know how to safely handle an alligator, you ask? I too possess a television, and I too can speak in an Australian accent, which as far as I can tell, is all that's needed to safely handle crocs, gators, and deadly snakes.

Do it yourself: Visit my How To Get Rid of Alligators page for tips and advice.
Get professional help: Visit my Nationwide Pro Directory of wildlife removal experts.
Gator Information: Visit my Alligator Facts and Info page for biological facts.

How You Can Control Alligators On Your Farm Or Other Property

One of the most fearsome creatures you can have a problem with is the alligator. In many cases, alligator removal is considered an emergency rather than a casual process such as when you need to get rid of termites in your house. The reason for this is that the most significant danger that such animals can possess is the fact that they can kill. An alligator's jaw can supply several tons' worth of force when biting hard, and this can easily split a man in half. If you are thinking of buying property or are staying in an area that is close to an alligator's habitat, you would need to think of several ways of making sure that you do alligator removal to avoid any danger to you or your family.

This means that you would need to find ways of alligator removal or to simply make sure that they keep away from you. If you are in need of methods of how to keep alligators from attacking you, the first thing you need to do is to ensure that you never feed them, either directly or indirectly. In many cases, the alligators start associating food with human beings, which means that when they are hungry they will be more willing to associate with you. If you never provide a source of food for them, they will then focus their attention on other things such as hunting the smaller animals in the water body they are staying in.

The other thing you need to do is make sure that your pets are well controlled in the presence of an alligator or when you live in an area that is infested with them. For instance, dogs often bark at anything that looks strange, and will sometimes go to investigate such an animal. This can precipitate an attack, and you may end up losing your dog in this manner. You can avoid this by fencing off the water body or making sure that your pet is always on a leash when near the alligator's habitat.

When you need more drastic measures of alligator removal, there are a number of methods you can use. It has been said that the most effective means of alligator removal is by use of a bait, since these animals are attracted to them. It has to be stressed that due to the dangerous nature of the animal, it is always a good idea to ensure that you have alligator removal done in this manner only with the help of a professional who has been trained to handle such matters. If you decide to do alligator removal on your own and it goes wrong, you may very well lose your life.

The commonest and simplest method of alligator removal is by using a hook that has bait attached to it. This is the way that most people use to remove the alligators when they do not need them alive, such as when hunting them for food. The hook is normally huge and baited with a food such as fish or beef lungs that will attract the alligator. This is then suspended from a tree or any other similar (but strong) pole. When the alligator swallows the bait, the hook attaches to its stomach, and the alligator can then be pulled using the rope attached to the hook. Of course, this means of alligator removal is not suitable for very large alligators, as these may end up overpowering the individuals doing the alligator removal or may even be too aggressive.

If you need to do alligator removal without having to kill or harm the alligator, you can use one of many snares available. These are often a bit more complicated than using the baited hooks for alligator removal, and are also said to be less effective. In order to use them, you have to buy a snare and then place the bait in it. These are then left near the alligator's habitat. When an alligator notices the food, it often has to put its head through the snare in order to access it. This then traps it, and if the entire contraption is fixed in place the alligator will have no place to go.

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Alligators are some of the oldest species that still exist on the surface of the earth. They live near lakes, rivers, swamps, and near other freshwater ecosystems. Young alligators can grow up to 15 feet long and weigh up to 1000 lbs. at maturity. However, Louisiana has a record of an alligator with a length of 19 feet. While such cases are rare, they aren't impossible.

Alligators are a concern to many, especially when they grow huge and scary. Therefore, if you feel uneasy when you sight an alligator in your home or neighborhood, you aren't alone. Alligators can attack pets and humans, especially during their mating season, making them one of the dangerous animal species to humans, livestock, and pets.

However, unlike other nuisance wild animals or pets, alligators are protected under state laws. Therefore, it's illegal to injure, trap, or kill an alligator, except in the case of self-defense. Of course, human life is more precious than that of a nuisance alligator. Even when trapping of an alligator is justified, you can't just do it on your own since it requires a license, which is also expensive.

Now, in case you sight an alligator in your yard, pond, or in any other part of your property, what do you do? Since gators are regulated by the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), you should contact the commission as soon as possible. You can find all their details and contacts through http://www.floridaconservation.org/.

But at times, the commission may not respond fast. In such circumstances, calling for the help of a professional wildlife remover is crucial. If you don't have one in mind, you can ask for a referral from a friend, and perhaps try searching online for a wildlife removal expert near you. Since using private agencies to remove gators from your home may be expensive, it's imperative to employ preventive measures to keep the gators out of your home for good.

Below are some of the ways of keeping alligators at bay.

Fencing off your home: One of the practical ways to keep your pets, livestock, and family safe is by erecting a chain-link fence at the perimeter of your homestead. The fence will keep your livestock and pets from going beyond the fence while at the same time blocking the killer wild animal from moving about your compound. If that's not possible, you can fence a pond infested by the gators or erecting a fence along a riverbank invaded by gators.

Avoid feeding the gators: Gators associate humans with food. Therefore, whenever they become hungry, they'll tend to come near houses in search of food. Whenever you sight them near your home, never feed them. Instead, keep your dog on a leash and prevent it from going to areas regarded as danger zones. Also, restrain your livestock from going to crocodile-infested areas.

Use of a snare: Use of a snare is one of the best ways you can remove gators without having to harm or kill the animal. With this method, you'll be able to trap an alligator alive and release it in a river far away from your home. Even though you will be in the nitty gritty of getting rid of the predator from your vicinity, you should never release it in an area where it might invade other homes and cause havoc.