THE EXPERTS ABOUT GATOR SAFETY. IT’S THE TAIL END OF GATOR MATING SEASON HERE IN FLORIDA. THAT MEANS MALE GATORS ARE MORE ACTIVE, TERRITORIAL, AND THAT COULD LEAD TO MORE HUMAN ENCOUNTERS. IN GENERAL, YOU WANT TO BE CAUTIOUS NO MATTER WHAT, AROUND ANY BODY OF WATER HERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. FLORIDA HAS THE BIGGEST POPULATION OF WILD ALLIGATORS IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH AN ESTIMATED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 1 AND 2 MILLION ALLIGATORS. IN EARLY MAY, A WOMAN WAS KILLED AFTER HER CANOE PASSED OVER THE REPTILE IN SHALLOW WATER. IT HAPPENED IN TIGER CREEK ON LAKE KISSIMMEE. IT WAS THE SECOND ATTACK IN A TWO MONTH SPAN. A WOMAN WAS BITTEN IN MARCH WHILE KAYAKING. GATOR EXPERT BRANDON FISHER SAYS THERE’S PLENTY PEOPLE CAN DO TO STAY SAFE FROM THESE LARGE CREATURES. NEVER FEED A WILD ALLIGATOR. ONCE YOU HAND FEED A WILD ALLIGATOR, THEY ASSOCIATE FOOD WITH HUMANS AND THEY COME CLOSER. AND THAT’S WHEN PROBLEMS HAPPEN. IF YOU’RE IN THE WATER WITH GATOR, FISHER SAYS, MAKE YOURSELF LOOK AS BIG AS YOU CAN. IF YOU’RE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU’RE VERY CLOSE TO THAT ALLIGATOR, BACK AWAY AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN. GET OUT OF THE WATER AS QUICK AS YOU CAN. IF YOU CAN’T GET OUT OF THE WATER, YOU WANT TO TRY TO MAKE YOURSELF LOOK AS BIG AS POSSIBLE. THE BIGGER YOU LOOK, THE MORE THE GATOR MAY GET SPOOKED AWAY. AND WHILE THERE ISN’T MUCH YOU CAN DO IF AN ALLIGATOR GRABS AHOLD OF YOU, FISHER SAYS THEIR MOST SENSITIVE AREAS ARE THEIR NOSE AND THE BASE OF THEIR TAIL. AND IF YOU TRY TO ATTACK THEIR EYES OR HEAD, YOU MAY NOT GET TOO FAR. IT MIGHT IRRITATE IT, BUT IT’S NOT GOING TO HURT THE ALLIGATOR. THEIR EYES ARE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO DOWN INTO THEIR HEAD, SO THAT THEY DON’T GET THEIR EYES POKED OUT BY ANY LOW HANGING BRANCHES. FISHER SAYS THE BEST POLICY IF YOU COME FACE TO FACE WITH A GATOR FIGHT OR FLIGHT. COVERING OSCEOLA COUNT
Alligator rescues, attacks and encounters in Central Florida | 2025 roundup
Updated: 9:15 PM EST Dec 27, 2025
If you’ve lived in Florida long enough, you’ve either seen a gator or know someone who has. In 2025, there have been quite a few alligator encounters in Central Florida. Here are a few Central Florida gator stories WESH 2 covered this year. Gator Comes to Family’s Front Door”Alright, so we have this good-size gator in front of our house…” one of the family members can be heard saying in the video they recorded that night.10-foot Gator Tossed from Florida 7-ElevenThe Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office shared the video on its Facebook page, saying, “Yes, it happened again. Another day, another gator.”Deputies Wrangle Gator Found Outside Lake County HomeDeputies placed the gator in the back of the patrol car and safely relocated the surprise visitor.Gator attack in Florida: what is a ‘death roll’?Brandon Fisher, a gator expert at Gatorland Orlando, said that gators have the most powerful jaws in the animal kingdom.Gator poaching ring busted in Central Florida after photos shared to SnapchatFWC officers arrested Jacob Latreille of Edgewater and charged him with 13 counts of illegally capturing and killing gators.Deputy wrangles gator spotted near Florida schoolNowhere in the job description for law enforcement does it say you have to wrangle an alligator. But then again, this is Florida. Florida deputies wrangle 14-foot, 600-pound alligator blocking roadwayMultiple deputies sprang into action to remove a 14-foot alligator that was obstructing a roadway in Sarasota County.People concerned about an alligator should call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
CENTRAL FLORIDA, USA —
If you’ve lived in Florida long enough, you’ve either seen a gator or know someone who has. In 2025, there have been quite a few alligator encounters in Central Florida. Here are a few Central Florida gator stories WESH 2 covered this year.
Gator Comes to Family’s Front Door
“Alright, so we have this good-size gator in front of our house…” one of the family members can be heard saying in the video they recorded that night.
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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
10-foot Gator Tossed from Florida 7-Eleven
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office shared the video on its Facebook page, saying, “Yes, it happened again. Another day, another gator.”
Deputies Wrangle Gator Found Outside Lake County Home
Deputies placed the gator in the back of the patrol car and safely relocated the surprise visitor.
Gator attack in Florida: what is a ‘death roll’?
Brandon Fisher, a gator expert at Gatorland Orlando, said that gators have the most powerful jaws in the animal kingdom.
Gator poaching ring busted in Central Florida after photos shared to Snapchat
FWC officers arrested Jacob Latreille of Edgewater and charged him with 13 counts of illegally capturing and killing gators.
Deputy wrangles gator spotted near Florida school
Nowhere in the job description for law enforcement does it say you have to wrangle an alligator. But then again, this is Florida.
Florida deputies wrangle 14-foot, 600-pound alligator blocking roadway
Multiple deputies sprang into action to remove a 14-foot alligator that was obstructing a roadway in Sarasota County.
This content is imported from YouTube.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
People concerned about an alligator should call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).