Large alligator slips into Florida home and takes over the dining room, video shows

A 6-foot, 9-inch alligator forced its way into a Florida couple’s dining room, and it took a professional trapper to force it back out the door, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says.

The startling discovery was made Sunday, March 9, in Fort Myers, about a 125-mile drive south from Tampa.

Video shared on Facebook shows the alligator fought eviction, slapping its tail against the floors and walls, and spinning its body in a move known as the “death roll.”

Homeowner Paul Quinn recorded the video after he and the alligator startled each other, WBBH reported.

“I’m like, is that really an alligator in my living room,” Quinn told the station. “He saw me, and he started running.”

Quinn called for help and a trapper arrived about an hour later, resulting in a struggle that included the gator breaking off teeth in the furniture, according to video posted on YouTube by WINK.

“He bit this chair and he had it in his mouth and he was swinging it around,” Quinn told the station.

It’s believed the alligator got in by breaking through a door screen, WINK reported.

The reptile was taken alive to an alligator farm, the FWC told McClatchy News.

Florida has a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program that helps homeowners with threatening alligators. The Alligator Hotline number is 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).

This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 9:22 AM with the headline "Large alligator slips into Florida home and takes over the dining room, video shows."