RICHMOND, Texas – It's not usually polite to turn away a guest at your front door -- much less have them forcibly removed -- but in this case, we'll make an exception.
"I know, it's scary!" Theresa Tanafranca said.
With his sharp teeth and scaly skin, the 10-foot-long, 200-pound gator wasn't who Tanafranca and her roommate wanted knocking at their front door first thing in the morning.
"I just woke her up. zi told her that there's an alligator outside," Tanafranca said.
Her roommate is just inside the house the gator decided to guard, but Tanafranca says she's not leaving her safe and secure SUV.
"Just stay here, I'll wait. And I can see the action anyways," Tanafranca said.
The roaming reptile was first seen early Tuesday over in the grass, but slowly, he made his way up the sidewalk until he found a better place to unwind.
But his nap was cut short as game wardens decided to break up his fun. They secured a rope around the gator's neck, and pulled him back out into the rain.
Since we have nothing else to do right now, this big girl thought she would go for a walk! Old Orchard Community. pic.twitter.com/p3zWNrjYQe
— Major Chad Norvell (@chad_norvell) April 18, 2017
He wasn't happy, to say the least.
But the fearless wardens managed to subdue the grumpy gator, wrapping electrical tape around his mouth and paws, and then tucking his tail into the bed of their truck.
Tanafranca says this may no longer be the neighborhood for her.
VIDEO: Game warden wrangles gator in Fort Bend County neighborhood
"I don't know. (I'm) thinking of moving where there's no lake," Tanafranca said.
But Fort Bend County Maj. Chad Norvell says the county is the gator's home too, and you may see them scurry up your sidewalk or perch on your porch more often than you'd think.
"If they're just near a waterway, then don't call us. But if they're out on the street or on your front porch, then despite how good of a security system that is, you probably should still call us," Norvell said.
Norvell said nothing will happen to the gator. It is being moved to a new home.
