Orlando Florida. – Warmer temperatures also mean alligators are more active and visible, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The FWC explains that serious injuries from alligators are rare in Florida, however, it warns that they are a possibility, especially when the alligator population is healthy and stable in the state.
In total, there are around 1.3 million alligators of all sizes.
For this reason, the FWC has published several tips for coexisting with them safely:
• Keep a safe distance if you see an alligator and never feed it. When foraging, alligators can lose their natural wariness and instead learn to associate people with the availability of food. • Swim only in designated swimming areas during the day. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.
• Keep pets on a lead and away from the water’s edge and never allow them to swim in fresh or brackish water. Pets often look like natural prey for alligators.
• Call FWC’s Pest Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286) if you believe an alligator poses a threat to people, pets, or property and FWC will send a nuisance alligator hunter hired to resolve the situation.
The American alligator, Florida’s state reptile, is a conservation success story. They are found in freshwater lakes, ponds, swamps, and slow-moving rivers in all 67 counties of Florida.