OAKLAND PARK, Fla _ Residents of this suburb north of Miami lassoed an eight-foot alligator to a tree using an extension cord on Tuesday night before calling 911 to complain that the reptile had sneaked into their swimming pool, the Broward County Sheriff's Office said.
By the time sheriff's deputies arrived at the River Oaks Apartments about 7 p.m., about 30 people were gathered around the unwanted pool guest, BSO spokesman Mike Jachles said.
No one would admit to tying up the animal, which most likely came from a nearby canal, Jachles said.
Police called a private trapper to remove the alligator, which had been thrashing around. The trapper told police the animal looked like it had been fed by humans.
''It thought it was home,'' Jachles said. "This just shows that wild animals are dangerous. Don't feed them.''
No one was hurt, but children allegedly threw stones at the alligator, he said.
It wasn't the first time an alligator had crawled onto private property in Florida this summer. In June, one was found in the men's restroom of a Jacksonville restaurant after a rainstorm.
''We live in the Everglades,'' Jachles said. "The alligators were here long before us.''