A Palm Bay community is on the lookout for an 8-foot alligator that was witnessed attacking and eating a cat along Turkey Creek.
Witnesses said the gator jumped out of the canal near a crowded mobile home park and snatched a cat perched on top of a 4- or 5-foot-high retaining wall.
"I can't believe it. I am surprised it jumped the bank," Kay Dwyer said.
One resident took pictures as the gator grabbed the cat and swam off with its prey in its jaws.
"He has been a pet of ours for about a year now. He comes out to the end of the dock and waits for his prey," Jim Powers said. "If he takes a small cat, would he take a small baby?"
Several residents said they always tolerated the gator, but now they are concerned for their safety.
"I am basically an animal lover; a nature lover. But if he's going to come after me, maybe he should be taken to a sanctuary," Dwyer said.
A trapper has set out some bait and will take away the gator if he can catch it. If the trapper catches the gator, by law, he must destroy the animal.
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