Officials remove 13-foot gator from swim area at Florida spring

Deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office were called to remove a massive gator from a swimming area at Silver Glen Springs on Saturday.

MCSO Patrol Deputy David Christmas responded to a call at around 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, about an alligator that had taken up residence in the designated swimming area at Silver Glen Springs.

According to the MCSO, Christmas called a few trappers to help with the capture of the 13-foot-long alligator.

After a successful capture, the gator was brought ashore and taken into custody by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the swimming area is now reopened to the public. Last year, Marion County Parks and Recreation department had to close a swimming area at K.P. Hole because of a large “menacing” alligator.

This article appears in Mar 1-7, 2017.