A Louisiana couple recently learned the hard way that doggy doors don’t just work for our furry friends – they can also let in some scaly visitors.
Don and Jan Schultz of New Iberia explained what led up to the encounter in the caption of a YouTube video posted to Don’s account over the weekend. The couple was alerted last Friday night by their dog, Panda, who began growling around 1:30 in the morning. Thinking a human intruder might have broken into the home, Jan woke her husband to investigate.
Still groggy from sleep, Don ventured out into the hallway with a pistol, where his eyes initially struggled to adjust to the darkness. It was when he was about 12 inches from a dark mass on the carpet that his brain registered the shape in front of him – that of a 5-foot alligator. Stunned, Don called back to his wife, who initially thought he was “full of it” until he snapped and showed her a picture on his cellphone.
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Don promptly called the Sheriff’s office who then contacted the Fish and Wildlife Department. An official from the department responded around 2:15 a.m. to wrangle the feisty intruder, a struggle Don was sure to capture on camera.
In the video, officials can be seen looping a tool often known as a hog catcher around the animal’s neck, which prompts the reptile to fight back and flail about. After trying a proper death roll, the gator is subdued and carried out the door and into what appears to be a garage before making a second escape attempt. Its mouth is then duct-taped shut for safety and its front and back legs are secured by rope in a hogtie style to allow for easier, safer transport to a new location.
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Don wrote that the home invader had entered through the dog door and experts believed that it had been seeking refuge from the oppressive heat. After enduring weeks of scorching hot temps, the gator likely sensed the cool air drifting out from the pet door and followed it into the house, down the hallway and as close as possible to the source, an AC unit running in the area around Schultz’s bedroom.
The nighttime visit inspired the couple to take new safety precautions, including buying a new dog door that only responds to a signal from Panda’s collar and installing a Ring Doorbell around the back of the house. Luckily, the encounter left them only with a crazy story to tell at parties.
Gator safety
For those living in alligator territory, experts at Gator World Parks suggest a few tips for keeping safe around these prehistoric creatures.
- Do not approach a gator. Stay at least 30 feet back and back away even further if they begin to hiss at or move towards you. Do not assume they can’t catch you if you run: American alligators can move up to 30 mph on land in short bursts.
- Know when and where gators like to hang out. They are most active between dusk and dawn and prefer sunbathing along water banks during the day. Avoid swimming or hanging around these locations and at these times.
- Do not fish near alligators and move away from a fishing spot if one approaches. Do not ever feed gators. Dispose of leftover scraps from fish, bait and food in proper containers and do not throw them back into the water or leave them near the water’s edge.
- Do not allow pets or children to swim in, drink from or approach bodies of water known to have alligators present. If you live in an area with a lot of gator activity, take precautions such as monitoring pets when they are outside or building fences at least four and a half feet tall.
- Avoid locations near bodies of water that may be nests. Female alligators will become abnormally aggressive to protect them. Keep an eye out for collections of twigs, grass and disturbed soil and steer clear if you see them.
USA TODAY
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