A nearly 7-foot alligator has bitten a man in Florida on the leg who was airlifted by helicopter to the hospital.
The man had been out for a walk on the Forest Glen and Golf Course on Jungle Plum Drive shortly after 5 a.m when the alligator emerged from the water and clamped its jaws around his leg, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook.
Officers arrived at the scene shortly after the attack and gave the man immediate medical attention. An officer spotted the alligator entering the lake once again.
A licensed trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) managed to apprehend the alligator, which turned out to be a female measuring 6 feet and 9 inches, and removed it from the area.
Florida is home to around 1.3 million alligators. The reptiles can be found all over the state in swamps and other waterways, across all counties.
Alligator attacks remain rare, but they can occur when the reptiles and humans are in close proximity. They have a set of very powerful jaws that can cause extensive damage.
Alligators also tend to hunt in the state's creeks and waterways, meaning attacks may occur when humans are swimming, or walking near water.
The alligator mating season is also currently in full swing. During this time, alligators tend too be more active than usual.
The Collier County Sheriff's Office said that, during this time, residents need to be extra cautious around bodies of water and vegetation where alligators may be keeping their nest.
It is not known whether this particular female had a nest nearby. If she did, it is likely the man walking made her feel threatened.
FWC trappers are usually called to incidents like this when alligators have shown aggression towards people.
If an alligator is deemed a nuisance, they will usually be euthanized. Not all alligators are deemed a nuisance. A nuisance alligator is over 4 feet long and repeatedly poses a threat to humans.
It is not the only alligator attack to occur in Florida this summer. In June, a teenage boy was bitten by an alligator after swimming in a Florida creek.
The 13-year-old was rushed to hospital after the reptile closed its jaws on his hip while he was emerging from Howell Creek, in Winter Springs, the Orlando news station WKMG reported at the time.
Newsweek has contacted the Collier County Sheriff's Office.
Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about alligators? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
