An aggressive 10ft alligator has been captured while creeping up on children in a local park.
With the assistance of police officers, a local trapper was called in to capture the large reptile, which weighed around 400lbs, in a city pond in St. Petersburg, Florida, US.
A St Petersburg Police Department spokesperson said: “Neighbours tell us it was getting too close to kids playing in the area and wasn’t afraid of people.
“As we understand, it tended to approach the shoreline when it heard the sound of neighbourhood children and pets.
“Residents were concerned about its aggressive nature toward children and pets.
“Officers assisted the trapper through the process of hooking, dragging it to shore, and capturing it.”
According to experts, any alligator over 4ft in length can pose a threat to humans and their pets.
As the spring weather starts to warm up, alligators are known to become more active and aggressive as they search for a mate.
As a result, the sighting of alligators in residential areas has increased in recent weeks.
Alligator wrangler Todd Hardwick said: “We're not quite in breeding season yet, but we're right on the edge of it.
“We're in the time of year where the gators are starting to roam around and climb out of the river or canals and take a shortcut through neighbourhoods and on roadways.”
There are some 1.3 million alligators living in the US state, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The reptile capture comes after an 85-year-old woman was dragged to her death by an alligator while walking her dog near a retirement home.
Gloria Serge was grabbed by the alligator near a retirement home in Spanish Lakes Fairways, northwest St Lucie County, which is 70 miles north of Palm Beach, Florida, US, on February 23.
The elderly woman was walking near the pond when the alligator went to attack her dog.
The tragic incident, which was captured on CCTV, saw the woman attempt to get away from the reptile but she was fatally bitten and dragged into the water.
The dog managed to survive the attack, however, its owner tragically died.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has since cleared the lake of the alligators with Henry, the reptile who killed Gloria, removed and killed by wildlife officials.
Jay Mandelker, president of Spanish Lakes Fairways, has since removed the alligators from the pond amid concerns from residents.
He told TCPalm: "They did so to allay any concerns and to make us realise the precautions we should take with regard to wildlife, alligators in particular.
"If you're walking by a lake, a pond, anywhere in Florida, understand, this is Florida, there could be alligators, so do not walk against the edges of any pond or lake, stay a safe distance away."
