When a homeowner went to check on his Humble, Texas home after recently evacuating due to the floods from Hurricane Harvey, he found more than he bargained for. Brian Foster and a crew of helpers were walking around their home to check on the damage when they came upon an intruder in the dining room – a 10-foot Alligator.

Homeowner and crew find alligator in the dining room

Speaking of the incident, Foster told KTRK that as he walked through his dining room, he spotted the alligator. Foster, a native of Louisiana, said he did a double-take on encountering the alligator, hardly believing it was real.

He said he and his team tried to lasso the alligator over the next couple of hours to drag it out of his home.

Foster called 911 and Harris County deputy constables responded to what they believed was an intruder call at the home, which is located close to Lake Houston. When they arrived on the scene of the “crime” they discovered the intruder was a large alligator.

Harris County police then called the Texas Game Warden for assistance in removing the large reptile. Wildnernex Wildlife Control responded to the call with Jarred Pollard and a few helpers arriving at the home. Within 20 minutes the team had subdued the beast with tape around its dangerous jaws and captured the large alligator. Loading the reptile into their truck, they then transported it to an animal sanctuary.

Alligator sightings are rife in Texas

Harris County Constable Mark Herman said Foster’s first reaction was whether it was the real deal or a fake alligator. Herman said the homeowner was “so disconnected” that he first thought his wife had bought a fake alligator. However, there have been many sightings of alligators in the flood-soaked area since Hurricane Harvey, with homeowners finding them in their flooded yards or on driveways.

A woman in Texas recently took video footage of two alligators swimming around in her flooded yard.

A recent report stated that up to 350 alligators could be accidentally released from Gator Country in Beaumont, Texas, as floodwaters gradually neared the top of the security fencing. In that case, there were also non-native animals involved, including crocodiles and venomous snakes, which were safety moved to higher ground as the waters just kept on rising.

That incident also caused additional problems, as normally when a homeowner spots an alligator on their property they call Gator Country. However, the animal shelter just couldn’t cope with all the calls coming in as they had enough problems with their own animals.

Residents who spot alligators should leave them alone

While it is a relatively normal situation for Texas residents to spot the scaly beasts during storms, Hurricane Harvey made matters far worse than usual. Authorities have warned the public that should they encounter an alligator, they should leave it be. They are normally simply trying to escape the floods to find a safe place for themselves and will make their way back to their natural habitat once the water recedes.

However should any homeowner feel an alligator is posing a threat to their safety, like Foster, they should contact their local authorities for assistance.

Snakes along with other wildlife are also being displaced by the floodwaters. As reported by ABC 13, there have been several reports of animal encounters in the area both in the floodwaters and since the worst of the flooding has receded. Someone even spotted a wild hog running around a neighborhood in The Woodlands.
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