POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A kayaker was airlifted to the hospital following an alligator attack on Monday afternoon at Lake Kissimmee State Park.
The incident occurred amidst a group of about twenty kayakers, one of whom also had their life jacket ripped off.
Emergency responders from both the Florida Wildlife Commission and Polk County Fire Rescue rushed to the scene.
Currently, an alligator trapper is working to capture the aggressive gator while the victim receives treatment at Osceola Regional Medical Center.
To understand why this attack occurred, reporter Q McCray spoke with Brandon Fisher, Gatorland’s Director of Media Relations and resident alligator expert. Fisher explained that alligators can become particularly aggressive during certain times of the year.
“Gators naturally live as far north as North Carolina as far west Texas. So they’re used to freezing temperatures and are pretty good.” Fisher said.
Fisher pointed out that it could be related to mating season, which typically runs from April to June in Florida. During this period, alligators are more territorial and less tolerant of disturbances in their environment.
“They’ve been around for millions of years so they know and that water is way warmer than the air anyway. So they’re living comfortable staying in that water,” Fisher added.
While serious injuries caused by alligators are rare, officials are urging caution when enjoying Florida’s natural waterways, especially during peak alligator activity seasons.
The big question now is what will happen to the gator. Unless the Florida Wildlife Commission finds evidence that the alligator was provoked and if the gator is caught, it will be put down since it attacked two people. If not deemed a threat, the gator will probably be removed and placed in a wildlife sanctuary like Gatorland.
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