11ft-long alligator found blocking Florida drain

Residents in the Florida neighbourhood of Fort Myers got a big surprise when someone called the local public works department about a blocked drain. That blockage was an 11ft-long alligator.

According to Roger Desjarlais, who shared the story and picture on Facebook, someone in the Whiskey Creek area of Fort Myers called the Public Works Department about a backed-up drain, when workers arrived they found the 11ft monster.

Fort Myer's NBC affiliate said that there had been complaints of foul smells. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told the station that it was not aware of the case but that alligators were known to get stuck in drainage systems.

This is by no means a first in Florida, which has seen a number of alligator-related news stories hitting headlines in the past few months. Two alligators were shot in Southwest Ranches, Broward County, after they were found eating a human body and refused to be chased away by police. It was unclear whether the reptile had killed the man themselves or whether they were just scavenging.

In April, a Florida man shot and killed a 15ft alligator that he thought had been feasting on his cattle. Lee Lightsey said that he had not seen one that size before but was not surprised as ones only slightly smaller were abundant in the area.