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'The coolest thing': Alligator rings doorbell at Myrtle Beach home

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — A Myrtle Beach woman had quite the surprise this week when she found a six-and-a-half-foot alligator at the front door of her home.

Karen Alfano called the encounter “the coolest thing that could ever possibly happen to anyone,” though not all her neighbors agreed.

The reptile damaged the shelves on her walkway and left scratches on her home but didn't break the hurricane window in her door.

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The gator was eventually removed.

About a mile from her house, wildlife officials also removed a 10-foot gator who showed up there.

Officials at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources are asking community members to not call them if the alligator is smaller than five feet, saying young gators pose no threat to humans.