Latest news with #NuisanceAlligatorHotline
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man used life vest to fend off alligator attack at Lake Kissimmee State Park
The Brief New details and photos were released concerning a violent gator attack. FWC says the woman was bitten on her elbow while she was paddling at Tiger Creek Canal in Polk County. The man who tried to help her was saved by his life vest. LAKE WALES, Fla. - New details have been released about a violent alligator attack that left a woman seriously injured while kayaking in Lake Kissimmee State Park earlier this year. What we know The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said a woman was kayaking when an 8-foot alligator bit her paddle, causing the kayak to capsize. Then the gator bit her on the elbow in early March in the Tiger Creek Canal near the Osceola-Polk county line. Her husband tried to pull her back up, but the gator wouldn't let go of her arm. A man who was in a group kayaking with her paddled over to try and help. According to FWC, the gator released the woman, but then bit his life jacket. The man then poked the gator in the eyes, but it still didn't let go. So, he unbuckled and ripped off the life jacket, and the gator swam away with the life vest. He was able to get away unharmed. In new photos released to FOX 35, you can see the tourniquet wrapped around the woman's arm to try and save it. At last check, thankfully, doctors were able to save her arm, and did not amputate it. The alligator was found and killed. FWC believes the female gator was being protective or territorial and was triggered by the splashing of the paddle. There was a nest and multiple young gators nearby. Dig deeper A 61-year-old Davenport woman was killed on May 6, 2025, while canoeing in the same vicinity of Lake Kissimmee State Park. Cynthia Diekema of Davenport was canoeing with her husband near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee in approximately two-and-a-half feet of water. According to FWC officials, the couple's canoe passed over a large alligator, prompting it to thrash and capsize the canoe, throwing the couple into the water. The woman reportedly landed on top of the alligator and was bitten. She was later spotted by a Polk County Sheriff's Office helicopter and recovered by FWC officers, but she died of her injuries. What you can do The FWC recommends taking the following precautions to reduce the chances of alligator incidents: Keep a safe distance if you see an alligator. If someone is concerned about an alligator, they should call FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper will be dispatched to resolve the situation. Keep pets on a leash and away from the water's edge. Pets often resemble alligators' natural prey. Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn. Never feed an alligator. It's illegal and dangerous. When fed, alligators can lose their natural wariness and instead learn to associate people with the availability of food. This can lead to an alligator becoming a nuisance and needing to be removed from the wild.A contracted nuisance alligator trapper has been dispatched to remove the FWC report, STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials, and a phone call from a male victim.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
VIDEO: Gator shows up at Oldsmar home in ‘Jurassic Park'-like moment
OLDSMAR, Fla. (WFLA) — An unexpected guest turned up at a home in the East Lake Woodland community of Oldsmar Thursday. News Channel 8 viewer Ron Weeden captured the moment on video as a large gator slowly made its way onto the home's front porch and began heading straight for the front door. WATCH: Fawn gets 'zoomies' during Southwest Florida rainstorm Someone in the background could be overheard saying it looked like something straight out of 'Jurassic Park.' The scaly creature is not the only one to be spotted at someone's doorstep recently. Many Florida residents have been getting visits from gators with the reptiles' mating season well underway. The Lee County Sheriff's Office shared a similar video of a gator 'knocking' at a resident's door in the Tortuga community last week. Deputies said the reptile also made visits to other homes in the area. Alligators tend to become more visible during their mating season, which lasts from May to June, as they wander in search of mates. While they can be intimidating, serious injuries by gators are rare in Florida, with an average of about eight unprovoked bites per year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Anyone who is concerned about an alligator can call the FWC's Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Can I shoot a gator? How to get an alligator off of your property in Florida
If you've lived in Florida for long enough, you likely know that coexisting with alligators is a part of life in the Sunshine State. As long as you keep your distance and never feed one if it crosses your path, you should be fine. But there are some risks to be aware of, especially if you're planning on swimming in a lake or owning a home in the state (even if the closest body of water is a retention pond). And it's officially mating season for the tens of thousands of gators that live throughout Florida, which means a higher likelihood that our reptilian neighbors turn up in unwanted places, like yards, pools and golf courses. Alligator mating season in Florida lasts from April through June. To be exact, April is alligator "courtship" season and May is when most Alligators start mating, according to the FWC. "Courtship begins in early April, and mating occurs in May or June. Females build a mound nest of soil, vegetation, or debris and deposit an average of 32 to 46 eggs in late June or early July," The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) website says. During mating season, male gators become more combative and have a much wider range of travel than is typical throughout the rest of the year. During these months, they can roam over 1,000 acres of land and tend to become more aggressive. Dominant males typically kick out the weaker male gators during mating season, which is one of the reasons Floridians see more gators in their yards, retention ponds and pools during the summer months. If you have a gator in your yard or pool, don't freak out. These dinosaurs can be found in every Florida county and you can usually call FWC to remove them. Here's what you should do if there's a gator in your yard and what to do if you have to run or swim away from one. Removing a gator from your yard isn't the same as calling a private critter control service or your community's animal control. You have to call the state's fish and wildlife conservation commission. The FWC has a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program with a gator hotline. If there is a gator in your yard or pool, call the free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). The Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) will issue a permit to one of its contracted nuisance alligator trappers, authorizing the removal of the gator. The state pays its contracted nuisance alligator trappers for each job they are called out to. Calling SNAP's toll-free number and having a trapper come to your home won't cost you anything. An alligator is deemed a nuisance if it: Is at least four feet long. If the caller believes it poses a threat to people, pets or property. If it is smaller than four feet and winds up in places that are not acceptable, like swimming pools or garages, and must be removed. "You should never handle an alligator, even a small one, because alligator bites can result in serious infection and it's illegal. If there's an alligator under four feet in your swimming pool, on your porch or in a similar situation, call the Nuisance Alligator Hotline," the FWC's website says. The best way to keep roaming alligators from cooling off in your pool this summer is to get an enclosure for the area around your pool. If you think a chain link fence around your backyard is good enough, think again. Alligators can climb fences. If you already have a screened-in pool deck, check for any holes or weak points that might need to be repaired before the summer. Making sure you properly maintain your pool enclosure can also help keep snakes, iguana and bugs away from your pool deck this summer. Though Florida residents have learned to coexist with alligators, the potential for conflict always exists, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The wildlife commission recommends people avoid feeding alligators and to keep your distance if you see one. "Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours. And keep pets on a leash and away from the water," FWC's site states. If you're already swimming and see an alligator while you're in the water, calmly swim in the other direction and get out of the water. Don't splash around, this will attract the alligator. According to the FWC, "If an alligator bites you, the best thing to do is fight back, providing as much noise and resistance as possible. Hitting or kicking the alligator or poking it in its eyes may cause it to release its grip. When alligators seize prey they cannot easily overpower, they will often let go and retreat." You can also trigger a gator's gag reflex by shoving objects into the back of its mouth, if you have to. If it gags and tries to reposition its grip on you, that's your window to escape. Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare here, but if you are concerned about a gator, call the nuisance alligator hot line at 866-392-4286 or visit Most native Floridians learn as early as preschool to run away in a zig-zag line if a gator crosses their path, but this has been debunked. Gators can run fast on land, but only for short distances before they get tired. Simply run away in a straight line. If you find yourself tempted to take a night swim in a lake, river, pond or any natural body of freshwater, the possibility of running into an alligator is rarely zero. If the sun is down, the gators are out. Don't try to "take care" of any gators yourself. If you don't have a permit to hunt gators, you can't shoot one. Under Florida law, it's a third-degree felony to "intentionally kill, injure, possess or capture, or attempt to kill, injure, possess or capture an alligator or other crocodilian, or the eggs of an alligator or other crocodilian, unless authorized by rules of the commission." The Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program trappers relocate gators under 4 feet long and kill nuisance gators that are longer than 4 feet. "Relocated alligators often try to return to their capture site," according to the SNAP website. "They can create problems for people or other alligators along the way. If an alligator successfully returns, capturing it again would be necessary and likely more difficult the second time." This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Alligators in Florida: What to do if you see a gator on your yard, porch
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Kayaker killed in alligator attack at Lake Kissimmee State Park, FWC says
LAKE WALES, Fla. (WFLA) — A kayaker died Tuesday after being attacked by an alligator at Lake Kissimmee State Park, authorities said. The Polk County Sheriff's Office was called to assist the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) shortly after 4 p.m. 3 bears killed, DNA samples sent off following deadly attack in South Florida Deputies said two people were kayaking at the state park when one of them was attacked. The circumstances surrounding the attack largely remained unclear. However, the FWC later confirmed to NBC affiliate WESH that the victim went into the water during the incident. Officials believe she may have been pulled into the water by the gator. She was recovered from the water but was pronounced dead. The incident happened in between Polk and Osceola counties on Lake Kissimmee, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies remained on scene Tuesday afternoon, along with a helicopter and Marine Unit. The FWC said a nuisance alligator trapper was also dispatched to the scene. No further information was immediately available regarding Tuesday's attack. The incident comes just months after another kayaker was bitten by an alligator at the mouth of a canal connecting Lake Kissimmee and Tiger Lake. The March 3 incident sent the kayaker to the hospital with severe injuries to her arm, and the FWC said an 8-foot-4-inch-long alligator was captured and euthanized afterward. According to the FWC, serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida. However, residents and visitors can protect themselves by only swimming in designated swimming areas, keeping pets away from the water, and by not feeding alligators. Anyone who is concerned by an alligator can call the FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). This is a developing story. Stay up to date on the latest from News Channel 8 on-air and on the go with the free WFLA News Channel 8 mobile app. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
‘Totally normal day in Florida': Barefoot man wrestles giant alligator on busy highway in viral video
A video shared by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has equally stunned and terrified people. It captures a barefoot man wrestling a giant alligator after it wandered onto a highway in Florida. 'If you were cruising down I-95/I-295 on the Southside yesterday and thought you saw a barefoot man wrestling a giant alligator in the median—nope, your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. That really happened,' the department wrote. 'Your #JSO joined forces with Florida Fish & Wildlife, the Florida Highway Patrol and none other than local gator-wrangling legend, the Blue Collar Brawler, to wrangle this beast off the road and keep everyone safe. Just another totally normal day in the Sunshine State,' they added. People posted varied remarks, from expressing their wonder to sharing how the video scared them. A few pointed out how spotting an interaction between an alligator and a man makes for a 'Totally normal day in Florida.' An individual joked, 'Bruh was happier than a barefooted kid at a chocolate factory to get down and dirty with that gator.' Another joined, 'So many questions… not enough hours in a day.' A third posted, 'I knew he was the right guy for the job when I saw he didn't have shoes on.' A fourth wrote, 'He's barefoot because usually gators are in mud and mucky water, no sense ruining a good pair of boots. (Totally a guess). This is so Florida.' He is a former MMA fighter and an army veteran. He also holds a license as an alligator trapper. At the time of writing this report, he had over 3.8 lakh followers on Instagram. His videos often show him capturing alligators from various parts of Florida. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), alligators have inhabited the state's 'marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for many centuries'. They are found in all 67 counties. 'Although many Floridians have learned to coexist with alligators, the potential for conflict always exists. Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, but if you are concerned about an alligator, call FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286,' the organisation stated. As per FWC, the first thing one should do is keep one's distance when they see an alligator. The agency also reminds people not to try and feed the reptiles. As alligators are most active between dusk and dawn, it is advised to swim during daylight hours and only in designated swimming areas.
