An alligator recently slipped through a magnetic screen door into a Florida woman’s home.
According to Fox 13 Tampa Bay, Venice homeowner Mary Hollenback discovered the 8-foot-long reptile on March 28 after hearing banging on her door.
“I thought someone who didn’t live here was trying to get into the wrong house,” she recalled.
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Hollenback said she got up from her living room couch to investigate and discovered a large alligator walking through the house.
The alligator entered Hollenbach’s Venice, Florida, home through a screen door and crawled into the kitchen. (Mary Hollenback)
At that moment, Hollenbach said she had two initial thoughts.
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“One is, ‘Oh my god, there’s an alligator in my house,’ and the second one is, ‘Oh my god, there’s an alligator in my house. How do I get rid of it?'” she says. She told Fox 13, adding that she was “shaking” with fear.
Hollenbach picked up the phone and called 911.
Hollenback said the alligator eventually stopped in her kitchen after walking down the hallway. (Mary Hollenback)
“At that point I was shaking so bad I didn’t know who else to call,” Hollenback said.
Hollenback said the alligator stopped in the kitchen before officers arrived.
Deputies with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) personnel were able to remove the 7-foot, 11-inch alligator from Hollenback’s home.
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“They are [the officers] “They were very calm, very cool, very professional,” Hollenback said. “They just acted like, ‘I have an alligator in my house…no big deal,'” he said. The incident has been resolved.”
Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived with FWC and safely removed the reptile from Hollenbach’s kitchen. (Mary Hollenback)
Hollenback said she believes the alligator came from the pond across the street before entering her home.
“Nobody saw him. They’re very surprised,” she said of her neighbors.
“At that point I was shaking so bad I didn’t know who else to call.”
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He added: “Florida is the only place where you can have an alligator in your house.”
The FWC website has multiple safety tools and tips in case you encounter an alligator.
The homeowner, Hollenbach, called 911 and requested a presence at the scene, so officers were able to remove the reptile. (Mary Hollenback)
“Alligators less than 4 feet long are not large enough to pose a danger to people or pets unless handled,” the FWC website states.
“Never touch a crocodile, even a small one. Crocodile bites can cause serious infections and are illegal.”
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It also says, “If you see an alligator under 4 feet tall in your pool or balcony, please call the Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).”
Fox News Digital has reached out to FWC and Hollenbach for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Sydney Borchers contributed to this report.
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