LEESBURG, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
The Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) captured and killed a 7-and-a-half foot alligator on Wednesday, the same day a woman was attacked and herarm was bitten off in a Leesburg canal. The man who pulled 84-year-old Carol Houghfrom the water and saved her life was not convinced the alligator that was capturedand killed was the culprit.
"You know, I'm not a professional in that area, but Ijust feel that they haven't found the right gator, but I don't know that for afact."
Delmas Zickafoose tells FOX 35, he sees all kinds ofcreatures in and around the series of canals that runs behind his mobile homepark.
"I see large gators there all the time that aretwice that size just cruising the canal. I see it all the time."
FWC is convinced they have the right alligator,even though there was no arm found inside, only a hamburger. Zickafoose says heis disappointed people have been feeding alligators in his area.
"That's my biggest concern. That's the biggestproblem with gators in Florida. People feed them. People think they are pets. They're not afraid of them. They don't realize that these animals can killyou."
Delmas Zickafoose says he was contacted by the family andtold that Hough would survive the attack. She was in critical, butstable, condition in the hospital as of Thursday afternoon.
"I am so , so, so thankful. I'm looking forward to beable to take her and hold her in my arms the way I did in that water."
FWC patrolled the area around the park on Thursday in theearly morning hours to see if they could find another alligator that could be theculprit. Finding none, they are now calling the case closed.
