A Lakeland, Florida, family woke up to a big surprise Tuesday -- they found a 9-foot alligator in their backyard pool.

Craig Lear said he went to the patio to let the family's cats out when he noticed something in the pool.  He ran back inside to tell his wife about the unwanted visitor and then called a trapper to come and remove the gator.

They believe the alligator came from the pond on the golf course behind the home and broke through the screening to gain access to the pool.

Aside from the broken screen and a bit of a scare, there was no harm or other damage.

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In 2022, Georgia Power projected its winter peak electricity demand would grow by about 400 megawatts by 2031. Since then, Georgia has experienced a boom of data centers, which require a large load of electricty to run, and Georgia Power's recent forecast shows peak demand growing by 20 times the 400-megawatt estimate from just three years ago. (Illustration by Philip Robibero/AJC)

Credit: Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC