LOS FRESNOS, Texas – A large alligator who had clearly been through it was recently found lounging in the backyard pool of a South Texas home.
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“Gator Jake” Reinbolt, of the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, said he was called to the home in Los Fresnos on July 28 about a 6- to 8-foot alligator.
Photos showed the massive reptile enjoying the pool before Reinbolt and his colleague were able to trap him.
An alligator is seen floating in the pool of a home in Los Fresnos, Texas, on July 28, 2026. (Jacob Reinbolt)
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From: FOX Local
The alligator turned out to be an even 10 feet long, Reinbolt said. That is much bigger than what the caller originally reported, but a bit shorter than the 11.2-foot average length of a male American alligator.
“He would have been slightly longer but he was missing the last 4 to 6 inches of his tail,” Reinbolt said. “He also had an old bite mark on his tail and an old bullet hole on his face which is why I imagine that it was competition and human interference that encouraged him to try and find a new home.”
According to Reinbolt, his team worked with Texas Game Wardens to relocate the giant reptile to the wild.
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