Gator rescued from Pinellas storm drain

SEMINOLE (FOX 13) - A 7-foot alligator is being relocated after it was rescued by Pinellas County deputies Friday evening.

The Sheriff’s Office got a call shortly before 5:30 p.m. for a gator stuck in a storm drain at 117th Drive N. and 101st Street.

The caller said that someone had pushed the gator further into the drain to avoid it being hit by a car.

The deputies were able to remove a manhole cover and found the gator wedged around a pipe in the drain. Authorities said they used a dog leash to close its mouth so it could be duct-taped. Then using the same leash, the deputies lassoed the gator and hoisted it up out of the manhole.

Florida Fish and Wildlife officers responded and took the female gator, which will be relocated to a gator farm.