Gator has beachside residents looking down

An 8-foot alligator roaming the streets near the Garden Apartments in beachside Melbourne has nearby residents extremely concerned, FLORIDA TODAY news partner WKMG Local 6 reported today.

And their calls to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers to have the reptile removed may not do much good, because officers say unless the gator demonstrates it is a threat to people or pets, there is nothing they can do about it.

John Delafe lives at the Garden Apartments, just feet from where the gator has often been spotted sunning on the other side of the fence. He says that no one is willing to help, and he is afraid to walk his dog.

There are also several children in the neighborhood that play nearby and have no idea there is an alligator in the bushes. The whole situation is putting residents, like Peggy Hill, on edge. Hill said she is not only concerned for herself and her elderly neighbors, but for children, such as her 12-year-old granddaughter who was recently visiting.

“They’ll grab anything or anybody if they are hungry,” Hill said.

As of right now, FWC officers are refusing to remove the reptile, until it demonstrates it has become a threat to the people living nearby.

However, if a phone call comes from the pond’s owner, instead of its neighbors, officials may be able to take more immediate action, allowing the residents of the complex to return to their normal lives without the constant fear of having an alligator as their neighbor.