A 12-foot alligator attacked a dog that was walking with its owners on May 12 at Riverside Park in Orlando, Florida.
According to authorities, a couple was near the Little Econ River, until the alligator rushed out of the water and grabbed the pet.
Its owner jumped towards the crocodile and managed to get the dog out of the animal’s mouth. The dog’s health status was not disclosed, but Billy Girard, an official with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said the dog will make a full recovery.
“Mako was attacked by this 12-foot alligator in the city park. Fortunately, his owner, Fisher Greene, was able to rescue him from the alligators’ clutches and I was able to remove him before he could do any more damage. Thanks to Fisher, his girlfriend Kylee and his dad Matt and his fire crew for helping me carry this big guy. Mako must make a full recovery!” he said on social media.
In an interview with Florida regional TV, WFTV, alligator hunter Jerry Flynn explained the situation on the river where the attack took place.
“It looks like the Econ has a lot of crocodiles. A lot of them are in the barrios and when the ponds get low or hot they tend to go back to the Econ River. So we got kind of busy.”
In a statement, the Government Agency “Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission” confirmed that it captured the reptile and also issued an alert to residents asking them not to walk with the animals near rivers during the alligator mating season.
Florida has an estimated alligator population of 1.3 million animals of all sizes. Despite the large number, attacks are not that common, but recently an encounter was fatal.
An 85-year-old woman was killed by an alligator in February this year. The woman was walking her dog in Fort Pierce and the alligator pulled her into the water. She managed to save her dog, but it didn’t survive.
The alligator mating season usually begins in April. However, experts claim that due to the high temperatures in Florida, the process started earlier. During the season, alligators become more aggressive and roam more, appearing in some places, such as on roads and streets, looking for females. Therefore, authorities always warn people to be cautious and be careful when walking in rivers and lakes.
Source: CNN Brasil
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