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A Florida man was flown to a hospital after an alligator attacked him on his early morning walk.
Deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office responded to a country club community after the nearly 7-foot alligator attacked the man.
The man was walking a little after 5 a.m. when the alligator came up and bit him in the leg, deputies said. The extent of the injury was not immediately known.
As one deputy aided the man, a second deputy spotted the gator heading toward a nearby lake. The deputy kept eyes on the gator and provided its location to a trapper. The trapper safely apprehended the reptile and removed it from the community.
Authorities warned residents to be vigilant around bodies of water and vegetation where an alligator could have a nest during mating season.
Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn, deputies said.
Where are alligators in the U.S.?
Alligators are found throughout the Southeast and wetlands, with their range stretching as far west as eastern Texas, and as far east as coastal North Carolina, according to The National Wildlife Federation.
The creature is most abundant in Louisiana and Florida, with each state having a population of over 1 million alligators.
“Anywhere there is standing water, an alligator might be found,” The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement to USA TODAY.
How to prevent an alligator attack
The University of Florida shares these tips:
- Leave alligators alone. Alligators would rather avoid human contact.
- Pay attention. As Collier County officials said, keep an eye on your surroundings near fresh water. Avoid vegetation-filled areas like rivers and lakes.
- Do not feed alligators. Feeding alligators is illegal. Alligators who are fed by humans will associate humans with food and lose their natural fear.
- Throw fish scraps into trash cans. Do not discard fish scraps in the water.
- Follow directions on signs. Do not swim outside of posted swimming areas.
- Swim during daylight hours only. Alligators are most active at night.
- Stay with children. Never allow small children to play unattended near water.
- Keep an eye on your pets. Dogs are in more danger from alligators than humans, because they resemble the reptiles’ natural prey. Do not let your dog swim in waters where you know alligators live.
- Remember the odds. You are more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by an alligator in Florida.
WATCH:Video shows wranglers tussle with 10-foot-long alligator on Florida highway
Louisiana:Lawmakers say state is ‘overrun’ with alligators, call for expanded hunting
What to do if an alligator attacks
Texas Parks and Wildlife says a safe distance away from an alligator is at least 30 feet, and while extremely rare for them to chase humans, they can run up to 35 mph for a short period of time.
Experts from the University of Florida say to run in a straight line if an alligator is chasing you. If an alligator attacks, experts say to poke at its eyes and punch and kick it around the head. You can induce a gator’s gag reflex by jamming objects in the back of its mouth, and when it tries to reposition prey in its mouth, that’s your chance to escape.
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Naples Daily News
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