MARION COUNTY, Fla. — The mystery of the missing alligator has been solved. Residents living in The Villages call him Larry, and he's been a regular fixture in the retirement community for almost a decade — until Thursday.
- "Larry" has lived in The Villages for almost a year
- Trappers caught the alligator early Thursday morning
- Larry was taken to Gatorland Orlando to live out his life
Larry the Alligator normally hangs out in a pond near the Brownwood Town Square in the Villages.
Not knowing what happened to Larry, residents pull off the cart path to keep an eye out for their favorite four-legged friend.
“We saw Larry on YouTube, and we came down here to see him, and now he's gone, and we're so sad,” said resident Linda Paul.
Early Thursday morning, trappers snagged Larry and sent him to live in Gatorland, where he will spend the rest of his life eating red meat and fish.
The owner of Gatorland said, “A trapper was called because people were feeding the alligator, and when gators get accustomed to people, they start associating people with food.”
Larry has been around for almost 10 years, and he’s become so popular that he even has his own Facebook page and placard next to his favorite lake.