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Florida family finds baby gator swimming in pool, kids want to keep it as a pet

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DUNEDIN, Fla. — (WFLA/NBC) - When a Florida family found a baby alligator swimming in their backyard pool over the weekend, the kids wanted to keep it!

The dad, Barak Granot of Dunedin, said he was surprised that the gator even got in, saying they don't live near a lake and have a fence and a lanai.

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However, he did later find a small gap in the screen where he believes the reptile entered.

Granot contacted authorities and they were able trap the gator and release him back into the wild.

However, they did let Granot's kids safely pet the reptile once they had its mouth taped.

Granot said his kids wanted to keep the gator as a pet and were very upset when it was taken away.

Courtesy WFLA via NBC News Channel