A woman suffered bites to her arm and leg Sunday after wildlife officials said she had an encounter with an alligator while walking along a submerged area in the CREW Bird Rookery Swamp Trails in Collier County.
The gator was later trapped and removed from the area.
A report from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission agent in Collier County said that on August 17, the FWC received a report of a woman who was bitten on the leg and arm by an alligator after she unintentionally made contact with the animal while hiking through water at the CREW site.
No evidence was reported that the woman was attacked, unprovoked or otherwise, by the gator.
The female victim was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The FWC responded to the scene, and a contracted alligator trapper was dispatched. On August 18, the contracted alligator trapper returned to the area with FWC officers and removed an alligator.
The FWC said that serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida.
"The FWC places the highest priority on public safety and administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP)," a statement from the agency said. "SNAP uses contracted nuisance alligator trappers throughout the state to remove alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property. People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), and we will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation."
The FWC said it works to keep Floridians and visitors informed and recommends the following precautionary measures near alligators, including in or near the water, to reduce the chances of conflicts with alligators:
- Keep a safe distance if you see an alligator. If someone is concerned about an alligator, they should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), and we will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation.
- Keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge. Pets often resemble alligators’ natural prey.
- Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.
- Never feed an alligator. It’s illegal and dangerous. When fed, alligators can lose their natural wariness and instead learn to associate people with the availability of food. This can lead to an alligator becoming a nuisance and needing to be removed from the wild.
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