Florida couple shocked to find uninvited visitor lurking in their living room: 'He saw me and he started running'

A couple was surprised to discover a scaly intruder in their Florida home.

An alligator broke into a house near Fort Myers, Florida. According to First Coast News, Paul Quinn said he first spotted the gator when it broke through a screen door.

"And then he saw me and he started running and I'm like, 'Oh crap, I got to deal with this today?'" Quinn said.

Quinn called the police. About an hour later, an employee from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission removed the alligator from the premises. Quinn's wife, Mary Jo, said the encounter "made me nervous."

What's happening?

Run-ins with alligators in the Sunshine State are common. Alligators are found in all 67 counties, according to FWC. The agency said that alligators can be found anywhere there is standing water.

There were 442 unprovoked alligator bites in Florida from 1948 to 2021. However, alligator attacks are still rare. Texas Parks and Wildlife says gators have a natural fear of humans and will usually leave them alone. In fact, the chances of being the target of an unprovoked gator attack are one in 3.1 million.

Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?

Why are human and wildlife encounters important?

Per BBC, growing human populations and lack of wildlife resources due to a warming planet are leading to more conflicts between species. One study found that there were more than 5,000 large carnivore attacks around the world between 1950 and 2019.

The change in climate is forcing animals to adapt accordingly. For example, shorter winters may cause bears to end hibernation before their food supply is available.

What's being done to reduce human-wildlife conflict?

FWC has tools and resources available to keep residents safe if wildlife encounters occur. For gators, the agency recommends humans keep their distance and never feed them. FWC also urges swimmers to only get in the water during daylight hours to avoid run-ins with gators.

Since the warming planet is a big factor in human-wildlife conflict, protecting the environment can help limit dangerous encounters. Riding a bike or taking public transit can help commuters reduce their carbon footprint. Meanwhile, homeowners can promote biodiversity by rewilding their yards with native species.