SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A man was seriously injured after being bitten by an alligator early Sunday in Lake Monroe in Seminole County, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife officers.
The incident happened just before 2 a.m.
According to FWC, the man was swimming in Lake Monroe when the attack happened. He had serious injuries, but the extent of the injuries was not released.
[RELATED: Florida takes an alligator census every year. These waterways have the most]
The FWC recommends the following to help prevent any interactions with gators:
- 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.
FWC researchers estimated there were 1,274 alligators in Lake Monroe in 2023.
No other information, including the man’s age, has been released.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: