A four-foot alligator turned up in a Hillsborough County neighborhood on Wednesday, Nov. 11, prompting a deputy to wrangle the reptile with a throw rope.

Deputy Maloney responded after residents spotted the gator, according to a post on X. He secured the animal in a bin using the rope.

The post did not identify the specific neighborhood.

The incident is a reminder of how common gator encounters can be in the area. Florida is home to roughly 1.3 million alligators spread across all 67 counties, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The FWC runs the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program, or SNAP. Under the program, an alligator at least four feet long that poses a threat to people, pets or property qualifies as a nuisance. The agency dispatches contracted trappers to handle those situations.

Alligators under four feet are generally not large enough to be dangerous unless handled. The FWC warns residents never to handle any alligator, even a small one. Bites can cause serious infection, and handling them is illegal.

Relocated alligators often try to return to their capture site, the FWC says. That can create problems for people and other alligators along the way.

Residents who spot a nuisance alligator can call the FWC's toll-free hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).