Alligator attacks landlord at home

The landlady was caught unaware as she came out to respond to an unusual noise at the front door…

A Florida man was attacked by a male alligator that showed up at his front door Friday night, officials said.

The incident happened around 9:42 p.m. at a residence near a golf course in Daytona Beach, said Daytona Beach police spokesman Carrie McCallister.

The alligator was 7-feet, 10-inches long, said state-certified trapper, Curtis Lucas, who was called by Florida Fish and Wildlife officials to trap the reptile.

Lucas euthanized the alligator, McCallister said.

McCallister said the homeowner was responding to a noise at the front door.

“The resident opened the front door after hearing a noise, believing it was someone looking for his son. The alligator lunged and he was bitten in the upper thigh,” McCallister said in a news release.

The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital by medical personnel, McCallister said.

Officers located the animal near the front entrance to the residence and Florida Fish and Wildlife officers responded to the scene and called a trapper, police said.

By the time Lucas got the scene, the alligator had retreated under a trailer, he said.

Lucas said it’s nearing mating season for gators, so residents will see them out more often as they look for females.

“They are out scouting looking for girls,” Lucas said.