Alligator kills dog on West Orange Trail in Winter Garden, FWC says
An alligator attacked and killed a dog in a pond along the West Orange Trail in Winter Garden on Thursday evening, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
FWC Spokesperson Chad Weber said a woman was walking her dog along the trail when the dog ran into a pond to chase some ducks. That’s when the gator attacked the dog, Weber said.
FWC officials called an alligator trapper who captured and killed the gator, Weber said. Officials also recovered the dog and returned it to its owner.
Shirliene Nevarro told WKMG-Channel 6 that several gators live in the area and people should be on the lookout.
“A lot of people are unaware, so they will kind of go in there and walk around. We try to warn them,” Nevarro told WKMG. “There’s a big one that’s about 10-12 feet over there. We stay away from that area because we know that he’s a pretty big alligator.”
FWC reminds people never to feed alligators and keep pets away from water edges.
To reach the FWC’s nuisance alligator hotline, you can call (866) 392-4286.
