Gators in the News

Not the University of Florida sports team, but the reptiles. It is springtime, and the gators are on the move.

First we have a story about a quick-thinking wife. Man, 84, Was Gardening When He Was Attacked by an Alligator. This Is How His Wife Saved His Life

Joe Roeser was spreading mulch near a pond that was close to their house in Sun City when an alligator reached for him from the water, NBC Palm Springs, ABC News and WJCL 22 News reported. His wife, Marian Roeser, then struck the reptile with a tomato stake until her husband was free, according to the outlets.

"I just grabbed the closest thing I could find — a tomato stake — and started attacking the alligator's eyes and head," Marian said, according to a police report cited by ABC News. "I knew I had to do whatever it took to save my husband."

He is in the hospital with leg and arm wounds, but is expected to recover.

This is not quite a Florida Man story. Jacksonville man captures alligator from patio using trash can

The woman was letting her dog outside her Jacksonville home when she noticed a seven- to eight-foot-long alligator hiding behind a garbage bin.

Local animal trapper Mike Dragich came to the rescue, cancelling his Easter dinner plans and improvising by using a trash can to catch the reptile.

Not just some rando with a trash can, but someone who knew what he was doing. They relocated the alligator.

And lastly, some video. ‘Only in Florida’: Alligator Rings Doorbell Before Trying to Enter Home

I first saw this video on social media earlier in the week.

An American home’s doorbell camera footage shows two alligators trying to enter the property. One of the reptilian visitors is seen attempting to, and seemingly succeeding in, ringing the bell, before chaotically failing to open the door, while the other hangs back in relative inactivity.

Remember, The alligator has the right of way.

Alligators in the News

It's springtime, and aside from my allergies trying to kill me, that means that alligators are on the move. We have a few stories today.

I don't usually think of South Carolina as Alligator Country. South Carolina: 911 audio released of alligator attack

According to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, the man was in his backyard spreading mulch when the gator came from behind and bit him. In the 911 call, his wife said, "he had his arm in his mouth and I poked the alligator in the eye." She continued, "he's got a horrible, horrible leg wound."

There is mention of a 12-foot-gator, but it isn't 100% clear that is what attacked this guy.

But I guess it must be gator country, because here is a story from North Carolina. Officers at NC coast wrangle alligator as it climbs fence, heads toward busy road

Officers at the North Carolina coast were called last week to deal with an alligator climbing a fence and was headed toward a busy road, police said.

The animal was captured and relocated away from the road.

And a reminder to keep pets away from the water. Florida woman pries 6-foot alligator’s jaws open to save pet dog

A woman in Florida risked her life to save her beloved dog, Kona, after a 6-and-a-half-foot alligator grabbed the pet’s head in its mouth during an evening walk.

SiGraybeard has the rules of living with lizards... from 2019: A Florida Lizard ... Wait...

It's a list 5 rules.

1. The alligator has the right of way

Rule 3 is about pets.

It Is the Wrong Time of the Year for Gator Stories

A reminder that they are everywhere in Florida. Massive gator caught near mall in Florida

On Thursday, a massive alligator was caught in the area of Coconut Point Mall, according to Lee County deputies.

Deputies said the gator is approximately 12 feet long, weighing about 600 pounds.

Click thru for a nice photo of gator in question. And remember, if you're in Florida, there are gators in fresh water.

Gators Are in the Water

And I'm not talking about the University of Florida swim team. The world is not a safe place. Woman, 69, killed by alligator while walking dog in Hilton Head

A woman was killed by an alligator while walking her dog in Hilton Head, South Carolina Tuesday morning — the second fatal gator attack in the county in less than a year, authorities said.

The 69-year-old was mauled by the beast near a lagoon bordering a golf course in the Spanish Wells community where she lived around 9:30 a.m., the sheriff’s office said.

Gators like fresh water in the South. Sharks are off shore. Go far enough south (south of Miami) and then you might see American Crocodiles. The world is not a safe place.

I'm not sure if alligator attacks on people are becoming more frequent or not. The article seems to imply that they are becoming more frequent in South Carolina, but that could just be journalists whipping up fear.

Gators in Florida, and I'm Not Talking about a University Sports Team

First up, golfing in Florida, where the hazards are truly dangerous Watch: Giant alligator disrupts play at Florida golf course

And only in Florida will people ignore the danger for a video. Or maybe that isn't just Florida.

A Florida news station has shared video footage showing a massive alligator disrupting practice on a golf course and hissing at players riding in a cart.

“Huge Florida Gator! We do golf a little different,” Matt Devitt, chief meteorologist at WINK News, stated Sunday via Twitter

We do golf a little different. Check out this big guy "playing through" at a Florida course! Credit: @WINKNews viewer Dalton M.

Just because he isn't moving fast, doesn't mean he can't. They are ambush predators.

And they are dangerous. A guy lost his arm in the past week. (No link, but you can find the story if you are that interested.)

But they are mostly a problem when they wander into populated areas. Like school yards. Florida MMA Fighter Tussles With Alligator Outside School

Mike Dragich is a licensed alligator trapper as well as an MMA fighter. He was also previously in the Marine Corps. (I don't think there is anything as an ex-Marine, but that is what they call him in the article.)

"We get there. I walked through the gate. And boom. There it was just ready to go right there in the parking lot, and we just had to get the job done," Dragich told Fox35.

SiGraybeard's advice from a few of years back is still good.

When in doubt, remember rule #1. [Rule 1 = The alligator has the right of way.] And remember two things. First, a gator can sprint faster than you can run for short distances. They're ambush-style predators and not likely to just attack you on land. If they're hungry, you're close and not aware, I don't rule it out. Second, the gators have learned how to climb fences.

There are 5 rules, and a page of info from the State of Florida.

The picture above is of a random alligator, not connected to any of these stories.

More Alligators in the News

Don't assume you know what is making that noise before you open the door. Daytona Beach man attacked by alligator after hearing noise, opening front door

According to police, officers were called to a home on Champions Drive around 9:42 p.m. Saturday after a resident was bitten by a gator.

Police say the resident opened his front door after hearing a noise that he thought was someone looking for his son.

He opened the door, stepped outside, and was bitten by a nine-foot alligator.

And they just love swimming pools. Volusia County homeowner finds 11-foot gator in swimming pool

Another story from Deltona, Florida, which is just north of Orlando.

According to Tosi, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the home and removed the gator, about 11 feet and five inches long, from the pool. No one was hurt.

Click thru for video on both stories.

It is apparently that time of year when gators are on the move.

Alligators in your Backyard

Or singular alligator, anyway. It attacked a dog. Florida man shoots alligator as it attacked dog in backyard: 'My heart just dropped'

Alligators in your backyard? That's Florida.

Deltona, Florida is about 20 miles north of Orlando.

A Deltona homeowner who asked not to be identified had to think fast when a gator started attacking his chocolate lab. The homeowner says he let his dog, Winston outside. He noticed the pup sniffing around, so he came out to see what Winston was interested in.

He shot the gator 4 times in the skull. Winston, the lab, is okay.

There is a damaged part of the fence that is only 4 feet high not 6 feet, and the game warden surmised that is where the gator climbed into the back yard.

Click thru for photos and more details. Does this count as Peak Florida?

This story is a reminder that some predators are in fact 4 legged, and if you need the means of self-defense because of an encounter with a predator, you need it right now, not in 5 minutes when you run inside to retrieve it.

In other alligator news, here's a video of a gator breaking the bars of an aluminum fence and moving through. (The alligator pictured above is unrelated to either story.)

85-year-old Woman Killed by Alligator

This story is a week old or so, but as I said recently, it is a bit early for stories of alligators, so I haven't been searching. Florida woman, 85, killed in alligator attack - CBS Miami

Witnesses said the woman had been walking her dog when an alligator grabbed it. She then tried to get the dog away from the gator's jaws and that is when she was attacked by the reptile.

The 10 foot alligator was captured. I don't know if it will be killed or just relocated.

SiGraybeard has some great advice about alligators, which he shared a few years ago. Some of it comes from the state of Florida, some of it is based on his experience living in Florida.

Corollary: if your map says "Florida" on it, and you're in fresh water, there are gators in there. If it's brackish or saltwater, there might be crocodiles with you.

This is a tragedy however you look at it, but I can't help thinking it is one that could have been avoided if she had just stayed away from the pond with her small dog. That is like an appetizer for a gator.

Nature doesn't care how you feel. Animals are not like those in the old Walt Disney movies. Red of tooth and claw. You should have some respect for nature. (The picture above is of an unrelated alligator.)

An Alligator Swims in Brooklyn

An alligator in NY at this time of year is not going to be happy. Workers stunned as 4-foot alligator is hauled from Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Lake. Note: That's a picture of an unrelated alligator I had hanging around.

It's actually a bit early in the year for alligator stories. In a couple of months the stories of alligators in the swimming pool, at the shopping mall, or wherever will be all over the place as spring turns a young gator's thoughts to love.

A lethargic, possibly cold-shocked 4-foot-long alligator was hauled from Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Lake early Sunday near an area popular with kiddies, officials and passers-by said.

New Yorkers were shocked of course, and there are more than few statements by people. To be fair, I wouldn't have expected to see an alligator that far north.

And despite what Miami Vice suggested, gators don't make good pets.

Meghan Lalor, a rep for the Parks Department, said the reptile was likely an unwanted pet whose owner decided to release it in public waters.

Hat tip to Fritz at Twitter, who notes:

For you northerners, that's a pretty small gator, ...

A Gator at a Florida School

Not the kind of Gator that hails from a well-known university and plays football. 6-foot alligator strategically places itself outside cafeteria door at Florida school

Mostly because I haven't had many (any?) alligator stories this spring...

A hungry alligator shamelessly stationed itself outside the cafeteria door of Florida elementary school, forcing police to hogtie the reptile and drag it away, video shows.

This is a story I tripped over while looking for something else. Hardly worth getting worked up about.

A 6-foot alligator is on the small side by Florida standards. On average, the species grows to 13 feet and 800 pounds in the state, according to the Key West Aquarium. The largest found was 17 feet 5 inches, and it was living in the Everglades National Park, the aquarium reports.

They released the gator into a canal a "short distance" from the school. Probably far enough to discourage its return, but maybe not. If you're in Florida, there are gators in the fresh water. (And in some brackish water as well.) Sharks are in the saltwater, just off-shore, and crocodiles are in the salt water in the extreme southern Everglades. (I always stayed in the boat.)

The image above is not related to this story; it is a generic alligator picture I keep for just such occasions. Click the link above for a photo of the alligator in question.

Alligators in the Midwest

Alligators as pets is apparently a source of the problem. Alligators in Michigan? Sanctuary trains officers to catch them safely. - Chicago Tribune

Most of them are small alligators still living in aquariums in people’s homes. But sometimes calls come in for larger alligators spotted in ponds or creeks. In 2019, a man was collecting minnows in Tuscola County when a 5 to 6 foot alligator lunged at him from a ditch. The man drew his pistol and killed the animal.

Good thing he had a pistol.

Alligators are no strangers to the Midwest, as Chicagoans know. An alligator nicknamed Chance the Snapper became a sensation in 2019 after turning up in a Humboldt Park lagoon. He’s now living the good life in a sanctuary in Florida after being captured by trapper Frank Robb, known as “Alligator Robb.”

People are crazy. People who think an alligator would make a great pet are insane.