WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – An alligator in a retention pond stopped mail from being delivered to a Winter Garden neighborhood.
Sixty-six residents said they have not received mail for two days.
"There was a complaint by apparently one mail carrier that she felt threatened by the presence of an alligator," Kathleen Bonczyk, a resident, said.
Bonczyk said there has never been a complaint about the gator in three years.
“We were one of the first people in the neighborhood,” she said.
The United States Postal Service sent a statement about the situation:
The Postal Service’s goal is to provide the best delivery service possible. In addition, the safety and well-being of our employees is of paramount importance. In order to ensure the welfare and safety of our delivery personnel, the Postal Service has guidelines in place which address situations such as a threatening animal, which could cause injury to an employee. While our letter carriers are vigilant and dedicated, occasionally we are forced to stop mail delivery at an address. In this particular situation, we attempted mail delivery daily and local management worked with the neighborhood association to find a solution. We expect mail delivery to resume tomorrow.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said this time of year, gators are on the move as the weather warms up.
The gators can also become more aggressive during this stretch.