Federal Alligator Study Eyes Florida Home Removals

Florida households near lakes and canals should keep pets away from the water while a proposed federal review of nuisance alligator rules is considered.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Reptiles

Flat-color editorial illustration of a still Florida lake at dusk with a lone cypress silhouette and a low horizon, in navy, cream, and muted teal. — Florida lawmaker Greg Steube introduced the GATOR Act seeking a federal study of nuisance alligator rules after fatal attacks that killed a 71-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should Florida residents be able to remove nuisance alligators more easily near their homes?

Florida Congressman Greg Steube has introduced the GATOR Act, which calls for a federal study of whether current wildlife protections obstruct managing alligators near homes and private property. The proposal would not immediately change Florida's existing nuisance alligator program, and it follows fatal alligator attacks that killed 71-year-old Steven Hamilton and 31-year-old Brittany Clark.

Why it matters

Alligators live in all 67 Florida counties, so the question of who can remove a nuisance animal from a backyard, pond, or neighborhood lake affects a large share of Florida households. This year's drought pushed alligators out of natural habitats and into larger lakes, which has raised the number of encounters with people and pets.

Orange County recorded 807 nuisance alligator calls and removed 527 animals in 2025. In Volusia County, 249 alligators were removed out of 386 reports, a 64% removal rate for the same year.

The players

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)

The state agency that manages Florida's wildlife and runs the Nuisance Alligator Program, which handles removal requests for homeowners. It says the state has a healthy alligator population.

Greg Steube

Florida congressman who introduced the GATOR Act calling for a federal study of wildlife protections affecting alligator management.

The details

Under the state's Nuisance Alligator Program, an alligator at least four feet long generally qualifies as a nuisance if it is believed to pose a threat. Once an alligator is deemed a nuisance, it is removed, and the licensed trapper decides its fate, which may include selling it to alligator farms or euthanizing it for its hide and meat. Officials note that feeding alligators causes them to lose their fear of people, which increases the danger.

2025: Orange County reported 807 nuisance calls and removed 527 alligators.
2025: Volusia County removed 249 alligators out of 386 reports.
This year (2026): an unprecedented drought pushed alligators from natural habitats into larger lakes.

The Home Front

The proposal sits against Florida's Nuisance Alligator Program, which sets the four-foot threshold and removal rules that homeowners already rely on. Any federal study would examine whether the wildlife protections that shape those rules are limiting local control over animals near homes.

If you live near a lake, canal, or pond in Florida, keep pets and small children away from the water's edge and do not feed alligators. To report a nuisance alligator, call the FWC Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286 rather than attempting removal yourself.

The takeaway

Alligators in Florida are living closer to people because of drought-driven movement, so keep a safe distance from water and never feed them. Save the FWC Nuisance Alligator Hotline, 866-392-4286, in your phone for any sighting near your property.