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Customer finds 7-foot gator inside Florida post office

Photo: John Dean
Photo: John Dean

SPRING HILL, Fla. (AP) — They say neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night will stop the U.S. Postal Service, but an alligator could get in the way.

That's what happened early Wednesday at the Spring Hill Post Office. Hernando County Sheriff's officials say someone stopped by to mail a package around 3:30 a.m. and saw a 7-foot gator roaming the lobby.

The building has automatic double doors that allow entry during off hours.

A trapper was called to remove it. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission considers an alligator a “nuisance” animal if it is 4 feet or longer and is deemed a threat to people, pets or property.

Danielle Prieur covers education in Central Florida.