Alligator named Mr. Pickles moves into Florida restaurant's pond and refuses to leave
Last August, the gator found its way into a retention pond outside Five Bucks Drinkery in Seminole - likely swept in through storm drains stirred up by a hurricane, Fox 13 News reported.
Mr. Pickles chose to settle in, turning the pond only feet from customers into its permanent residence.
'He's a beautiful creature. We've watched him grow. He's not going to be here forever,' the restaurant's general manager, Brett Pope, told the outlet.
'The plan is to find him a private lake or take him back by the rescuers that are actively trying to relocate him. We've been working hand in hand, so this can happen,' he added.
'But while he's here, just respect him from a distance and appreciate the wildlife of Florida.'
Last year's hurricane season swept in the baby alligator, which measured two and a half feet long at the time.
Although the restaurant isn't located near a lake or stream, the theory is that the reptile made its way in through low-lying storm drains, navigating a path during a hurricane.
'I wasn't shocked that he was here,' Pope recalled. 'I am a little surprised that he's taken home here, though. I thought he would find his way out.'
Since then, the gator has become a fan favorite among diners, who affectionately named it Mr. Pickles.
But the once-small gator has now grown to nearly five feet long.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), any alligator over four feet is considered a nuisance or a potential threat to people, pets and property.
'We did contact and got the right documentation for some rescuers to come in to help save him,' Pope told WFLA News.
Now, with safety concerns on the rise, Mr. Pickles may soon have to be relocated as it refuses to leave on its own.
A licensed trapper has visited the pond multiple times in an effort to move the growing gator, but so far all attempts have been unsuccessful.
'He's definitely smarter than people think,' Pope told Fox 13, explaining that Mr. Pickles 'goes into the storm drain and hides there all night until they leave.'
'As soon as he sees them, he goes into hiding. So it's been a game of cat and mouse with them,' the general manager added to WFLA.
Mr. Pickles 'hasn't been a nuisance in any regard,' Pope told Fox 13.
In fact, the gator has become the restaurant's top attraction, drawing in even larger crowds.
'We try not to market him,' Pope told WFLA. 'But he's definitely become the most photographed and most popular alligator in Pinellas County.'
Staff have been told to advise guests to observe Mr. Pickles from a safe distance and never feed the gator - respecting the important boundary between wildlife and humans.
'There is a wild habitat underneath there,' Pope told Fox 13 of Mr. Pickles' home. 'There are a lot of fish, frogs, turtles, birds, and he's thriving down there.'
Feeding alligators isn't just dangerous - it's illegal. It can cause the animals to lose their natural fear of humans, leading them to associate people with a ready food source.
For now, the goal is to safely relocate Mr. Pickles from the pond to either Lake Seminole or a private property before it grows any larger.
'I think that he's living a really good life,' Pope told Fox 13. 'I would want maybe one day for him to find his way out because he would probably, or she would like to mate.'
Capturing the gator has already been difficult, and it may become even harder since alligators longer than four feet often try to return to the spot where they were caught after being relocated.
Relocating nuisance alligators to remote areas with healthy alligator populations can cause fights, sometimes leading to the death of either the resident or the newcomer.
The FWC advises that if you're concerned about an alligator, you can call their toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286) and they will dispatch a licensed trapper to handle the situation.
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