A man in the US state of Florida was bitten by a 9-foot (about 2.74 meters) alligator when he opened the door of his house to the unexpected knocker, according to local media. 

Scott Hollingsworth, who lives in Daytona Beach, was watching TV with his wife at night when he heard a slam on the door, so he got up to see if someone was knocking. 

Hollingsworth said in a report to the local ” WKMG ” channel: “When I opened the door, and took a step forward to see who was at the door, as it was dark, I found my legs had clung to something and started shaking violently.” 

He continued, “At first I thought it was a large canine coming at me. Then in an instant, the truth dawned on me – the crocodile had leapt forward to bite my thigh,” emphasizing just how quickly everything happened.

Hollingsworth was taken to hospital with a non-life-threatening injury. 

He said that seeing crocodiles is common, “We see them behind our house, but they always stay away from us. I think I surprised the crocodile as much as it surprised me.” 

The authorities called on a fisherman to search for the crocodile to get rid of it, which is what actually happened.