Large alligator with ‘old bullet hole’ found lounging in Texas pool
FILE -- Are alligator attacks common?
Chelsea Edwards talks with Chris Deiter at Crocodile Encounter about alligator attacks and how common they are.
LOS FRESNOS, Texas - A large alligator who had clearly been through it was recently found lounging in the backyard pool of a South Texas home.
"Gator Jake" Reinbolt, of the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, said he was called to the home in Los Fresnos on July 28 about a 6- to 8-foot alligator.
Photos showed the massive reptile enjoying the pool before Reinbolt and his colleague were able to trap him.
The alligator turned out to be an even 10 feet long, Reinbolt said. That is much bigger than what the caller originally reported, but a bit shorter than the 11.2-foot average length of a male American alligator.
"He would have been slightly longer but he was missing the last 4 to 6 inches of his tail," Reinbolt said. "He also had an old bite mark on his tail and an old bullet hole on his face which is why I imagine that it was competition and human interference that encouraged him to try and find a new home."
According to Reinbolt, his team worked with Texas Game Wardens to relocate the giant reptile to the wild.
The Source: Information in this story came from Jacob Reinbolt.