A Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputy from the northeast got a crash course in Florida wildlife on Wednesday, July 8, when he responded to his first alligator call and successfully captured it.Body-camera footage released by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, July 22, shows the deputy using a board to pin the alligator in a corner near a home. He then looped a leash around the animal, secured its jaws with tape and loaded it into the back of his patrol cruiser for relocation.

The sheriff's office did not identify the deputy by name or release the address of the call.

PCSO said the deputy had assistance from nearby residents during the capture and that the gator was moved to "safer waters." The agency did not specify where the alligator was taken or whether it was handed off to a licensed trapper.

Gators common across Pinellas, state

Florida is home to roughly 1.3 million alligators spread across all 67 counties, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Statewide, officials field between 14,000 and 15,000 alligator complaints each year, according to FWC data.

Under FWC's Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program, an alligator is generally considered a nuisance if it measures at least 4 feet long and the caller believes it threatens people, pets or property. FWC contracts licensed trappers to handle those calls; nuisance gators removed through that program are typically euthanized because relocated alligators often attempt to return to their capture site.

PCSO did not say whether the July 8 alligator was turned over to a licensed trapper through FWC's nuisance program or relocated by the deputy alone.

How residents can report a gator sighting

Residents in Palm Harbor, Dunedin and unincorporated Pinellas County who spot an alligator can call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at 727-582-6200.

To report a nuisance alligator directly to FWC, call 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).