Ah, Florida—the land of sunshine, retirees, and, apparently, private alligator sanctuaries. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, some guy decides that a backyard pool is the perfect spot to raise two of Florida’s most famous reptilian residents. That’s right, authorities arrested a Marion County man after they discovered he had turned his backyard pool into a full-on gator lagoon. Because what’s more Florida than casually swimming with dinosaurs?
Now, you might be wondering: how exactly does one get into the business of backyard alligator keeping? Is there an underground market for this? Do you just wake up one day and decide, “You know what my pool needs? Two apex predators”? Either way, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) didn’t find it nearly as amusing. The man was promptly arrested, and his reptilian roommates were evicted.
This raises an even bigger question: why do people keep getting arrested for stuff like this in Florida? Is it something in the water? Is it the humidity? Because this isn’t even the craziest “Florida Man” story we’ve heard this year. But let’s give the guy some credit—at least he wasn’t trying to ride the gators through town or train them to fetch his morning newspaper.
Of course, environmentalists and wildlife officials will tell you that keeping gators as pets is dangerous and illegal, and they’re not wrong. But let’s not act like Florida doesn’t already have an alligator problem. You’ve got them wandering into backyards, golf courses, and even knocking on front doors (yes, that actually happened). Maybe this guy thought he was doing some kind of community service, keeping these gators contained in one place instead of letting them roam free.
The real kicker? If this were California, they’d probably try to pass some ridiculous law granting the alligators squatters’ rights. But this is Florida, and in Florida, the government draws the line somewhere—apparently, that line is when your backyard pool turns into Jurassic Park.
So, what’s the takeaway from this? Maybe it’s that Florida will never stop giving us headline-worthy stories. Or maybe it’s that if you ever visit the Sunshine State, check the pool before you dive in.