10-Foot Alligator Reported in Cape Coral Community Has Neighbors Concerned

Living in Cape Coral, Florida for a little over four years, I thought I had the local wildlife scene figured out. At least in my own neighborhood. I've seen  bobcats, ibises, and the occasional raccoons. But a 10-foot alligator? That was something I haven't had the luck... Or the misfortune of seeing up close for myself.

It all started with a call from a buddy who, in his usual nonchalant tone, dropped the bombshell. He just saw a massive gator chilling at the pond by Del Prado and Averill Blvd. Now, I've strolled by this pond many times walking my dogs, blissfully ignorant of any 10 foot gator. Has this guy been there this whole time? Has anyone else seen him?

When I threw the question about this Godzilla-like gator on Facebook, the responses were a bit mixed. Some users were genuinely shocked, like Margaret who exclaimed, "What?!?!?!"

While others seemed to play it cool. Just like Stephen, who wrote, "I don't know about that. However, there are still white domestic ducks swimming there. If there was a 10-foot alligator, I don't think the ducks would be there." Proving that not everyone was buying into the gator hype.

Now here I am worried about myself and my dogs. I never even thought about the poor ducks! These ducks seem to be the biggest concern when it comes to the topic of the alleged alligator.

"I live on the big lake, haven't seen anything. I also have ducks that are out there. Usually they will not venture out. If they know the gator is there, that's 18 eyes looking around, I just went and looked. The ducks are next to the shore. So maybe they know not to go out too deep."

Bridget, a cautious pet owner, chimed in saying, "We're getting the ducks out of the pond now till we know. Thanks for the heads up," she declared, showing that not everyone was ready to take a chance.

Kyle, the voice of reason, shared his two cents. "Nothing wrong with the gator. As long as people don't feed him, they will stay away." Okay, Kyle. Sounds good in theory. But we have dogs and ducks to worry about here.

Monica and another resident added their perspectives. Monica claimed she had seen the gator, but insisted, "It was more like 6 feet."  While someone else sarcastically suggested it might be a whopping 12 feet.

As for me, the mysterious gator remained just that - a mystery. Perhaps one day I'll get to see this 10-foot gator  with my own eyes.  But until then, this alligator in Gator Circle remains a sensitive situation. So hold onto your ducks. It's gonna be a bumpy and scaly ride.

Florida Man Mike Dragich is the total package. He's a local veteran in Jacksonville. He's an MMA fighter. And he's the guy they call when a Florida alligator becomes a problem. That's what happened last week with this 10 foot beast showed up in a parking lot at a Jacksonville elementary school.

Mike is a licensed trapper and knows what he's doing. Don't try this at home. He told Fox 35 ""We get there. I walked through the gate. And boom. There it was just ready to go right there in the parking lot, and we just had to get the job done."

We've seen a lot of alligator videos lately. We're right on the end of alligator mating season, so hopefully it'll slow down soon. But here's at least one more before the beasts calm down.

When I saw the video, even before Mike got to the gator you can see that thing didn't stand a chance. I wouldn't get near that thing without a suit of armor. This guy is sleeveless. I mean, what are the rest of the people there to do? I guess he needs someone to pass him the tape. That seems to be about it. This guy knows what he's doing.

This is just nuts. With all the people screaming it was quite the scene.

You could charge for these shows. How do you show no fear?

That is some scary stuff. A true Florida Man.

I can't even. I'm flinching just watching these videos.