Megan Mellado
Reporter
Man has arm amputated after gator attack at Seminole County lake
HOME GUYS. MORE ON THAT FEATURE STRAIGHT AHEAD. NEW AT FOUR A MAN LOST HIS ARM AFTER A GATOR ATTACK IN LAKE MONROE IN SEMINOLE COUNTY. WESH 2’S MEAGHAN MELLADO SPOKE WITH FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE OFFICIALS WHO SAY THIS ALL HAPPENED EARLY SUNDAY DURING HOURS NOT ADVISED FOR SWIMMING. OFFICIALS WITH THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION SAY THEY GOT THE CALL JUST BEFORE TWO IN THE MORNING. THAT A MAN WAS ATTACKED BY A GATOR IN LAKE MONROE, LEAVING HIS ARM AMPUTATED FROM THE ELBOW DOWN. ALLIGATORS ARE NATURALLY VERY WARY OF PEOPLE. THEY’RE NOT REALLY LOOKING TO HARM US, LAUREN CLAERBOUT WITH FWC SAYS ATTACKS LIKE THIS ARE RARE. THEY’RE NOT LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO EAT. A LOT OF CASES, UM, WITH ALLIGATOR BITES, UM, IT’S A LOT OF THE TIMES IT’S A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY. UM, SOMETIMES IF SOMEONE’S SWIMMING AROUND AND THEY’RE MAKING THEIR, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE’S SWIMMING AROUND AND THEY’RE MAKING A LOT OF, LIKE, SPLASHING, UM, THEN SOMETIMES THE ALLIGATOR WILL MISTAKE THAT FOR PREY. AND THEY’RE NOT USUALLY AFTER PEOPLE. SHE SAYS GATORS CAN ESPECIALLY MISTAKE PEOPLE FOR FOOD IF THEY’VE BEEN FED BY HUMANS. IN THE PAST, WHEN THEY’RE FED, ALLIGATORS LOSE THEIR NATURAL WARINESS OF PEOPLE, AND INSTEAD THEY CAN LEARN TO ASSOCIATE PEOPLE WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF FOOD. HONESTLY, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE, LIKE, SOME COMMON SENSE AND YOU DON’T GO JUMPING IN SOME RANDOM BODY OF WATER, THOSE WALKING NEAR LAKE MONROE TUESDAY SAY THEY’VE SEEN GATORS IN THE AREA, BUT NONE THAT HAVE CAUSED ANY HARM. IT PRETTY MUCH JUST LEAVE YOU ALONE. WITH AN ESTIMATED 1.3 MILLION GATORS IN FLORIDA, CLAERBOUT ADVISES PEOPLE TO ONLY SWIM IN DESIGNATED AREAS IN DAYLIGHT HOURS, SINCE THEY ARE MORE ACTIVE AT NIGHT AND IF A GATOR ATTACKS, SHE SAYS, FIGHT BACK. WE HEAR ALL THE TIME THAT THE EYES ARE A SENSITIVE AREA, SO POKING THE ALLIGATOR IN THE EYES MIGHT, UM, RELEASE ALLIGATORS BITE. IN SEMINOLE COUNTY, MEGAN MELLADO WESH TWO NEWS. IF YOU’RE CONCERNED ABOUT A GATOR CALL FOR WC AT 866, FWC GATOR. THEY HAVE NUISANCE ALLIGATOR TRAPPERS WHO CAN HELP MANAGE THEM. YO
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Man has arm amputated after gator attack at Seminole County lake
Megan Mellado
Reporter
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they were called just before 2 a.m. Sunday about a gator attack at Lake Monroe.The attack left a man amputated, missing his arm from the elbow down, FWC said. Lauren Claerbout with FWC said attacks like this are uncommon.“Alligators are naturally very weary of people, they’re not really looking to harm us in most cases... A lot of cases with alligator bites, a lot of times it’s a case of mistaken identity,” Claerbout said.Claerbout said gators don’t usually go after people unless they mistake them for food, especially if they’ve been fed by humans in the past.“When they’re fed, alligators lose their natural weariness of people and instead they learn to associate people with the availability of food,” she said.Those walking near Lake Monroe on Tuesday said they’ve seen many gators in the lake, but have never had any issues.“I mean it’s just one of those things you got to look out for living in Florida. They’re all over the place,” someone passing by said.With an estimated 1.3 million gators in Florida, Claerbout advises to only swim in designated areas and in daylight hours, since gators are more active at night.If a gator attacks, she said to fight back.“We hear all the time that the eyes are a sensitive area so poking the alligator in the eyes might release its bite,” Claerbout said.If you’re concerned about a gator, call FWC at 866-FWC-GATOR. They have nuisance alligator trappers who can help manage them.If medical help is needed, dial 911 first.
LAKE MONROE, Fla. —
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they were called just before 2 a.m. Sunday about a gator attack at Lake Monroe.
The attack left a man amputated, missing his arm from the elbow down, FWC said.
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Lauren Claerbout with FWC said attacks like this are uncommon.
“Alligators are naturally very weary of people, they’re not really looking to harm us in most cases... A lot of cases with alligator bites, a lot of times it’s a case of mistaken identity,” Claerbout said.
Claerbout said gators don’t usually go after people unless they mistake them for food, especially if they’ve been fed by humans in the past.
“When they’re fed, alligators lose their natural weariness of people and instead they learn to associate people with the availability of food,” she said.
Those walking near Lake Monroe on Tuesday said they’ve seen many gators in the lake, but have never had any issues.
“I mean it’s just one of those things you got to look out for living in Florida. They’re all over the place,” someone passing by said.
With an estimated 1.3 million gators in Florida, Claerbout advises to only swim in designated areas and in daylight hours, since gators are more active at night.
If a gator attacks, she said to fight back.
“We hear all the time that the eyes are a sensitive area so poking the alligator in the eyes might release its bite,” Claerbout said.
If you’re concerned about a gator, call FWC at 866-FWC-GATOR. They have nuisance alligator trappers who can help manage them.
If medical help is needed, dial 911 first.
