Mr. Gator and Friends!

Alligator Attacks

Q: Will alligators attack when they see a human?

A: Alligators don't usually attack people when they see them because they have a natural fear of humans. Alligators are a common sight in many parts of Florida.

However, alligators do occasionally attack people. There have been 16 reported fatal alligator attacks on people in Florida since the 1950s, and 15 to 20 non-fatal alligator attacks occur in Florida each year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Most alligator attacks on people seem to take place while people are in the water.

I can't tell you that you will or won't be attacked by an alligator. No one can. But you can decrease your chances of an attack by:

• keeping a good distance from any alligators that you see
  
  
• never throwing things at alligators or harassing them in any way
  
  
• never feeding alligators, which can cause them to lose their fear of people
  
  
• keeping your arms, legs, hands and feet inside the boat while you are on the water
  
  
• being aware of the possible presence of alligators while you are swimming or are near a body of water
  
  

Learning about alligators will help you understand them.

Look what we found outside our front door a mere 25ft or so. There is No Fence or any barrier between us or them. We could walk out the front door and Hello Mr. Gator. We could only get a few pictures, but we saw two others. They seem to be shy of humans and would go under if we made too much noise. I have been teasing the kids by opening the front door and telling them I was going to feed them to the gators. Oops...little did I know a little family of them living out front. I guess we really are living in Florida :)