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LIVING WITH FLORIDA’S ALLIGATORS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE May 25, 2005 By some estimates, alligators and people in Florida are 10 times more likely to come into contact now than 35 years ago. This figure is based on population estimates that indicate both the number of alligators and the number of humans have more than tripled since 1970. Staff at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) say these impressive statistics bare witness to a need for increased public awareness about alligator safety and behavior. Though many people across the state have learned that alligators are usually not a problem unless encouraged by humans, the animal’s basic behavior remains a mystery even to those who live in close proximity to our state’s largest freshwater reptile. Here are some insights into alligator behavior that can help you determine if you should report an alligator as a nuisance to the FWC. People and alligators come in contact on a daily basis, usually with no harmful effects to either. Alligators are attracted to splashing at the waters edge and noises made by lawn mowers, weed trimmers and airboat engines. However, once the presence of a human is detected most alligators will not approach any closer. That’s because Florida alligators are generally timid and avoid humans whenever possible. People should not report an alligator that is simply sunning itself on a bank or swimming in a lake, just doing what alligators do. If there’s no immediate danger from an alligator, the best thing to do is leave it alone. An important part of learning to live with alligators is recognizing that over time, these timid reptiles can become a serious threat to public safety with the wrong kind of encouragement from its human neighbors. Unfortunately, close encounters with humans have a cumulative effect on an alligator’s behavior that is usually subtle and always very dangerous. Trained biologists and staff at the FWC are experts at recognizing the tell tale signs that indicate a breakdown has started to occur in the behavior that protects people from alligator attack. Living in close proximity to a creature that is exhibiting signs of nuisance behavior is not an option. The situation needs to be dealt with by professionals from the FWC before someone gets hurt. If you have any questions as to whether an alligator’s behavior indicates aggression, call the experts at the FWC to have them make a determination. Alligators that are actively causing problems or threatening public safety should be reported as nuisances immediately. Call the FWC’s new toll free alligator hotline at 1-866-FWC-GATOR (1-866-392-4286) and file a nuisance complaint. If the alligator is in your swimming pool, at a school bus stop, under your car or in any place where people or pets are likely to travel, report it to the FWC right away. If the alligator is longer than 4 feet and meets the FWC’s criteria as a nuisance animal, it is harvested for its meat and hide by a permitted FWC trapper. Nuisance alligators larger than 6 feet present the greatest hazard to humans and pets. Smaller gators, 4 feet or less in length pose little threat to people but they can deliver a nasty bite that should be seen by a physician. The bacteria in an alligator’s mouth cause bite wounds to become infected easily. There are however, instances where the public can misinterpret an alligator’s actions as aggressive when in fact those actions indicate quit the opposite. Here is an example; During the spring and summer, alligators sometimes need to move great distances over land to meet their survival needs and they show up in unusual places. Places that are high and dry are just temporary resting spots and if left alone, the animal will usually move on in search of more suitable habitat. However, without the comfort of their traditional watery escape routes, these landlocked alligators will frequently resort to defensive hissing and snapping as a warning to stay clear. While the sound of a hissing alligator can be very unnerving, it’s not the gators that warn you about their presence that are the problem, it’s the ones that don’t. Alligators located at the waters edge may act quite differently from those that are landlocked travelers. Alligators should retreat into the water at the approach of humans. If the alligator lets you get very close without some defensive action on its part, it needs to be reported. Here are some basic guidelines from FWC experts that will help you stay on safe terms with alligators.
Alligators are cold-blooded reptiles whose metabolic rate increases or decreases as the water and air temperatures around them change. During cooler months alligators are generally lethargic and don’t move around much. By the beginning of April when the weather starts to warm, alligators become active, feeding more, looking for new territories and mating. This period of high activity may extend into October in the southern parts of the state. During the peak months for alligator activity, the FWC’s Lakeland regional office will receive on average, 100 nuisance alligator complaints a day or about 6,000 complaints a year. In 2004, the FWC’s Lakeland regional office, which services a 12-county area in Southwest Florida stretching from Brookville to Ft. Myers, received 6,296 nuisance alligator complaints (a 12% increase over 2003). There were 2,441 alligators harvested by permitted nuisance trappers in the Southwest Region last year (about the same as in 2003). Statewide, in 2004, there were 18,048 complaints received (an increase of 5% over 2003), resulting in the harvest of 7,331 alligators (an increase of 8.5% over 2003). Since the nuisance alligator program began 25 years ago, the FWC has received 290,358 complaints resulting in 120,347 alligators being harvested statewide by permitted trappers. Since 1948, there have been 15 recorded attacks on humans that have been fatal, including two last year in Lee County. There have been 327 non-fatal alligator attacks documented by the FWC, many as a result of people who tried to capture or handle an alligator. Divers hired to retrieve balls from golf course ponds have been involved in 24 of the 327 non-fatal encounters. Despite the reptile’s reputation, alligators can and do coexist in close proximity to people without causing problems. All it takes is a little understanding of the alligator’s needs and habits to ensure a healthy coexistence. Alligators play a vital role in the ecology of the state’s wetlands and are an important part of Florida’s heritage. It is against the law to feed, harass, molest, and attempt to move or kill alligators. Violators should be reported by calling the FWC’s 24-hour, Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922). Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward. For more information on Florida’s alligators, visit www.wildflorida.org/gators/Default.htm, the alligator section of the FWC Web site or call the Southwest Region office at (863) 648-3203 during normal working hours. |
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