TAMPA, Fla. — Alligator mating season kicks off Monday and lasts through June and that means you’re more likely to run into one of the reptiles roaming around.
Alligators are more aggressive during their mating season. During the mating season last June, a 12 and a-half-foot gator pulled a woman into a Florida pond and killed her.
Gators become fully mature when they reach six or seven feet long, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Fatal attacks on humans remain rare, however. According to FWC, the likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident in Florida is roughly only 1 in 3.2 million.
From 1948 to 2017, FWC reports 401 people have been bitten by alligators, with 24 fatalities. The most recent death before the woman last June was in 2016 when a 2-year-old boy playing near the water's edge at a Walt Disney World resort was killed.
The FWC says people should never feed alligators and to keep their distance if they see one. People can also stay safe by only swimming in designated swimming areas and keeping pets away from the water.
You can read more about living with alligators on FWC's website.
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