A Florida woman who heard someone knocking at her front door was shocked when she looked out and spotted an 8-foot alligator.

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The alligator was even more frightening because it had a bloody jaw.

Lori Pachelli called her husband, Mike, the Naples (Fla.) Daily News reported. He called the superintendent of their gated community, who summoned an alligator trapper.

The alligator remained at the door for an hour, banging its head against it occasionally. When it slid into the community's pond, the trapper got it.

Experts say this is the time of year when male alligators wander, looking for prospective mates.

"You're starting into what's called the crawl season, the breeding season. We get them out of front porches, out of garages, out of swimming pools," the trapper, John French, said.

The Pachellis, who moved to Florida from Pennsylvania in January, say they enjoy watching gators swimming around the pond but this one was a little too close for comfort.