Displaced animals following Hurricane Milton are moving into people's homes.
Experts are now warning that animals are starting to enter people’s homes after the destruction caused by Hurricane Milton.
In the past 24 hours, Hurricane Milton has slammed parts of Florida, leading to evacuation orders for residents in some areas of the state.
While many residents followed the evacuation orders and sought safety elsewhere, there were reports that a prison housing over 1,000 inmates was not planning to evacuate, despite being in the path of the hurricane’s danger zone.
Meanwhile, those who followed the mandatory evacuation orders and are slowly making their way back home might find that they’ve gained some unexpected houseguests.
In one video currently trending on TikTok, a family opened the door to their flooded home only to discover an alligator inside.
"Holy sh*t," one of them said as the gator started baring its teeth. Honestly, I don’t know about you, but I think I would’ve just accepted that the house now belonged to the gator at that point.
With this family’s surprise visitor in mind, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has issued a warning that creatures like alligators, bears, snakes, and even manatees could be displaced by the heavy flooding and strong winds, according to GB News.
Biologist Christopher Gillette also took to Instagram on October 10 to share a warning, particularly about alligators, as the floodwaters rise from Hurricane Milton.
He wrote: "Gator safety during the hurricane!! Watch for snakes and gators in the floodwaters, stay safe and stay out of the water! The usual Gator safety talk, don't feed them, keep kids and pets away from the water, don't swim or wade in the water!"
"The risk posed by wildlife in the flood waters is actually relatively low, you should really stay out because it'll be full of human sewage," he added, emphasizing the bigger concern with the contaminated waters.
In a separate video, Christopher explained that during floods and hurricanes, alligators can hold their breath underwater for as long as six hours, which makes them incredibly resilient in such situations.
Because of this, he wasn’t too concerned about the alligators he has at his Bellowing Acres Sanctuary, as they are well-adapted to handle these conditions.
Christopher also spoke to PEOPLE about the dangers of displaced snakes.
"There will be many displaced animals that people have to watch out for, including snakes on the ground," he told the outlet.
"Snakes can be especially tricky to spot, as they blend in with all the fallen branches and debris on the ground. People need to be extra cautious when moving through affected areas after the storm."
Stay safe out there, everyone!