Photo:Collier County Sheriff’s Office Facebook
Collier County Sheriff’s Office Facebook
A 79-year-old Florida man out on an early morning walk survived an alligator attack on Thursday in Naples, authorities said.
“I’m bleeding, don’t know how bad it is,” said the victim, who was able to put his T-shirt around his wound. “There’s a lot of skin ripped off, I see, probably some muscle.”
A trapper was then able to apprehend the animal, and removed it from the community, the sheriff’s office said.
Since it is currently alligator mating season, the female gator was likely protecting her eggs, an expert told WBBH.
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“This doesn’t appear to look like the person acted inappropriately,” said Dr. Billy Gunnels, an urban ecology professor at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). “It just appears to be an unfortunate consequence of a mother protecting their young.”
The sheriff’s office has urged residents to be cautious during the hours of dusk and dawn.
Meanwhile the victim was discharged from the hospital and is resting comfortably at his home, according to WBBH.
Alligator attacks are rare but tend to happen during mating season, from May through September.According to the Florida Wildlife Commission, the state is home to 1.3 million alligators, and an average of 10 unprovoked attacks occur every year.
source: people.com
