A 71-year-old man fishing on the shore of a Florida pond was attacked and killed on Friday by a nearly 12-foot alligator, the second fatal gator attack in the state this year. I read the report from WSVN 7 Miami, which confirmed the incident occurred in Largo, along a lake near the intersection of East Bay Drive and Missouri Avenue.
The victim was pulling a fish from the water when the alligator emerged and dragged him under. Responding deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office recovered the man’s body, and a trapper contracted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission later captured and euthanized the alligator. The FWC said the reptile measured 11 feet 11 inches.
Alligator encounters in Florida
Florida averages about one fatal alligator attack every three years, according to FWC data cited by the news outlet. The previous fatality this year happened in February in Collier County, when a woman walking her dog near a canal was pulled into the water. Alligators are most active during warm months, especially at dawn and dusk, when they feed.
If you live near freshwater in Florida, the safest approach is to keep a safe distance and never feed or approach an alligator. The FWC recommends never swimming outside posted areas or at night, and keeping pets on a leash away from the water’s edge. Homeowners in the state can find wildlife removal operators in Florida who are licensed to handle problem alligators.
The FWC operates a Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286 for reporting alligators that pose a threat. The agency says most alligators naturally avoid humans, but they can become dangerous if fed or habituated.
The notice is published by WSVN 7 Miami at wsvn.com.
