More Than 8,000 Nuisance Gators Nabbed In Florida In 2016

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FORT MYERS (CBSMiami/AP) — It's pretty astounding how many gators there are in Florida waters at any given moment.

Alligator trappers hired by the state have captured and removed the reptiles in more than 6,500 locations in Florida in 2016, resulting in 8,050 captured animals.

The Naples Daily news reports nuisance alligator removals have averaged 7,726 a year between 2001 and 2015. The range is from 5,833 in 2002 to a high of 11,664 in 2006.

Alligators are removed when classified as a "nuisance" — longer than four feet and posing a threat to people, pets or property.

Florida's "season" may be winter and early spring, but for alligators it's summer.

And the approach of the alligator breeding season makes adults irritable.

Florida's alligator population is about 1.3 million, and alligators live in all 67 counties in the state.