Small gator climbs through door, bites homeowner

[March 31, 2009]  EUSTIS, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities say a small alligator climbed through the porch door of a house north of Orlando and then bit the homeowner's arm when it was forced out.

The 2-foot-long alligator wandered onto James Gaff's canal-front property in Lake County on Sunday. Gaff tried to remove the gator, which then latched onto his right forearm.

A spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission says Gaff's wife, Elaine, pried the gator off by using a broom handle, and the couple threw the reptile into the water behind their home.

The 52-year-old Gaff was treated at a hospital for minor cuts and scrapes.

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Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/

[Associated Press]

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