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Miami Herald

Large alligator is pursuing canoers and kayakers in Florida springs, park warns

One of Florida's popular natural springs has halted all boating activity due to a large alligator seeking out humans in the water, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Access at Juniper Springs Waterway was stopped 'immediately' on Monday, May 19, 'due to the presence of an adult 'nuisance alligator,'' Forest Service officials said in a Facebook post. The Juniper Springs Natural Trail and Boardwalk Trail are also 'temporarily closed for public safety,' according to a website for the site. 'There is a large, male alligator (approx. 13-14 feet) in the closure area. Over the past few days, he actively made contact with canoes and kayaks. No injuries have been reported at this time,' the Forest Service said. 'To help prevent human interaction and disruption, the Forest Supervisor and Ocala district ranger decided to give this alligator his space for the time being.' The warning comes about two weeks after a Florida woman was killed when her canoe startled an 11-foot alligator at Lake Kissimmee, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Cynthia Diekema, 61, was with her husband on May 6 when 'their canoe passed over a large alligator' and it flipped the vessel over, state investigators say. 'She ended up on top of the alligator in the water and was bitten. Her husband attempted to intervene, but was unsuccessful,' the FWC reported. U.S. Forest Service officials noted the alligator's behavior may be linked to mating season, which occurs in May and June. Alligators are found in nearly all the state's waterways, including the natural springs, experts say. 'Male and female alligators are naturally protective of their breeding and nesting environments, typically found along embankments,' Forest Service officials said. Juniper Springs Recreation Area is about a 65-mile drive north from Orlando and includes amenities for swimming, camping and boating, according to 'There are hundreds of tiny bubbling springs and massive springs gushing out of crevices in the earth beneath a dense canopy of palms and oaks, an oasis within the heart of the desert-like Big Scrub,' the site reports.