‘Another day, another gator’: Deputies remove large alligator for second time in week

VENICE, Fla. — Wrangling alligators is becoming a habit for deputies in a west-central Florida county.

For the second time in a week, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office had to corral a large reptile. On Dec. 2, deputies helped remove a 14-foot reptile that was 3 1/2 inches shy of the state length record for alligators.

On Tuesday, deputies and trappers removed a 10-foot alligator from the parking lot of a convenience store in Venice.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office posted a video of deputies and a trapper wrangling the gator, which was not keen on being relocated.

“Yes … it happened again," the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “Another day, another gator -- Sarasota’s really determined to make this a weekly series.”

That led one poster to note that the alligator was merely stopping by the store for some Gatorade. Another speculated that it was a perfect photo and video of a Florida man walking his pet gator.

And just another day for deputies.

© 2025 Cox Media Group