Monster 9ft alligator waited at bloke’s door to pounce on him in horror attack

2023-03-20

A man was left in shock when he opened his front door to find a nine-foot alligator waiting to pounce outside.

Scot Hollingsworth had been watching TV with his wife at their home in Daytona Beach, Florida, on March 4 when they heard what they thought was a knock at the door.

Hollingsworth went to see who was there and was astounded to find the giant beast, which grabbed onto his thigh with its powerful jaws.

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"[I] barely got out the door and got my leg clamped on and [it] started shaking really violently," Hollingsworth told local news outlet Click Orlando.

"It happened so quickly. It was just total surprise and shock."

Hollingsworth was rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been recovering from the ordeal.

He said this isn't the first time he's spotted the large crocodilians behind his home – alligators often appear around the property, but he is usually able to keep a safe distance.

"I suspect I surprised the alligator as much as he surprised me," Hollingsworth added.

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The scaly creature itself was euthanised by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) following the attack as part of an effort to curb the number of "nuisance" alligators, described as "at least 4 feet in length and believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property."

The FWC previously explained: "Once an alligator has become a nuisance and SNAP has deemed its removal necessary, a Nuisance Alligator Trapper will be called in to trap and remove the animal to be euthanised at a later time.

"Nuisance alligators in Florida are euthanised, rather than relocated. This is because relocated alligators usually try to return to the area where they were initially trapped, creating problems along the way and becoming more difficult to recapture.

"Relocation across a great distance isn't the answer either. The introduction of a relocated alligator would create potential issues for the alligator population already living there, including conflict and injury, introduction of disease and ecological disruption."

Around 1.3 million alligators live in Florida, meaning residents of the sunshine state are no strangers to the formidable creatures.

However, people have been warned to be extra vigilant at the moment as wet weather conditions mean the creatures are more active than usual at this time of year and are more likely to be spotted out and about looking for either food or a mate.

Officials have warned people to stay at least 25ft from the water's edge and not to feed any wildlife.

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