8-Foot Alligator Bursts Through Florida Woman’s Screen Door And Makes Itself At Home As Owner Watches TV On Couch

OMG! A Florida woman who was watching TV on her couch was left in shock when an eager 8-foot alligator burst through her screen door and made itself at home in her kitchen.

RELATED : 8-Foot Alligator Named Big Mack Removed From Basement In Philadelphia

According to Florida news outlet WFLA , on Sunday afternoon (April 7), Mary Hollenback , of Venice, was watching TV on her sofa when she heard a rattling noise at her front screen door. Thinking that an intruder was trying to break into her home, Hollenback quickly got up from her sofa to find out what the noise was about. As she walked around the home and made her way into the kitchen, she was greeted by a nearly 8-foot alligator who had made itself at home.

Hollenback told WFLA, “So, I’m sitting on my sofa. It’s late in the afternoon. I’m just watching TV, and I heard my front door rattle, my screen door. And I thought somebody who didn’t live here was trying to come in, thinking that that wey were probably in the wrong house because that happens frequently. So, by the time I got up and went near the front door, the gator was already inside.”

RELATED : Man Loses Arm After Being Attacked By Alligator While Trying To Pee Behind Florida Bar

Hollenback said her front screen door had a magnetic closure on it, allowing the gator to easily push it open and gain access to her home. She added, “He was pushing through that and it broke the magnetic clasp. The door opened and he just came in. I probably got no further, no closer to the front door than you are right now. Just close enough to look and see that it wasn’t a person trying to get in; it was an alligator.”

Once she saw the gator sprawled out on her kitchen floor, Hollenback said her body and mind just froze up. She said, “My mindset was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, I have an alligator in my house,’ and at the same time, I’m thinking, ‘I have an alligator in my house, how am I gonna get rid of the guy?'”

RELATED : Florida Man Rescues Dog After Wrestling It From The Jaws Of An Alligator

The Florida woman said she thought about calling the police about the alligator that burst through her front door, but her only problem was that her phone was sitting on the kitchen counter, just a few inches away from the large and intimidating gator. She said, “So, I had to get a little bit closer to him, grabbed my phone, and then went on the lanai and called 911.”

Fortunately, officials with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office quickly responded to Hollenback’s call. She said, “The one deputy was really pretty funny because he told me that when he saw the report, he didn’t believe me until he walked in the house and saw the gator.”

RELATED : Florida Man Attacked By 8-Foot Alligator While Walking Dog

Responding to her call, two deputies and three Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers arrived at Hollenback’s home to help remove the gator, which was measured at 7 feet and 11 inches long, from the premises. Once the gator was removed, Hollenback shared she was so relieved, but ended up learning how quickly her photos had gone viral online.

She said, “I was relieved. I was kind of shaken for a while, but you know, it’s like all my neighbors came out and were all talking about it, and it’s just become a really good story since then. I mean, this story just keeps growing and growing. My 15 minutes of fame.”

The Florida woman said her Venice neighborhood has about 50 ponds in the area, so it’s pretty usual to see alligators roaming around, but was caught off guard when it ended up in her home.

#Socialites, be sure to check out the post below, then leave us your thoughts in a comment after!

The post 8-Foot Alligator Bursts Through Florida Woman’s Screen Door And Makes Itself At Home As Owner Watches TV On Couch appeared first on Hollywood Unlocked .