Florida is well-known for having some of the most eye-catching headlines in the national news. They tend to be about one of two topics: a “Florida man” doing something insane or the significant presence of alligators in the Sunshine State. This time, the alligators are back in the news.
In a viral video, a giant alligator can be seen pulling apart a metal fence so it can crawl through it to the other side. WINK News meteorologist Matt Devitt posted the video to his Twitter account, stating, “FLORIDA GATOR VS METAL FENCE Check out this big guy bend the bars and plow right through it this week in Placida. He eventually got through according to the @WINKNews viewer who shot the video. Only in #Florida! @GatorsDaily”
FLORIDA GATOR VS METAL FENCE 🐊😳
Check out this big guy bend the bars and plow right through it this week in Placida. He eventually got through according to the @WINKNews viewer who shot the video. Only in #Florida! @GatorsDaily pic.twitter.com/3GCWtWhUnO— Matt Devitt (@MattDevittWINK) March 2, 2023
One Twitter user commented below the tweet, implying this is not an unusual thing to see in the southeast, saying, “This happened where i work, my coworker took the video. Unfortunately it was a brand new fence we just put in. We were trying to dig holes for it to go under before it decided to go thru the fence. It got stuck, but luckily we were able to guide it thru.” Another user said, This video is my nightmare — the same fence surrounds our pool area. I have this vision when I swim at night in SC.”
It is essential to always remember the danger that these reptiles pose. Recently an elderly 85-year-old woman was killed by an alligator while walking her dog in Fort Pierce, Florida. It is reported that the 10-foot gator lunged from the water to grab the woman. The Sherriff’s Office subsequently tracked the gator and pulled it from the bottom of the lake. “He fought pretty good. Definitely fought pretty good,” Robert Lilly, Nuisance Alligator Trapper, said. “Snagged him on the bottom. He never surfaced. He stayed down the whole time. Got a second hook in him and then a hard line in him so we could get him up.”
According to the Key West Aquarium:
Florida, the 27th state, is the most southeasterly state in the entire United States. As locals and tourists continue to flock to the region to live, retire and vacation, more and more homes and resorts spring into action. As the population increases, the swamplands, once patrolled mostly by reptiles and nature’s creatures, become less and less and the possibility of animal encounters increases. The state of Florida presently has over 20 million people and over one million alligators. When it comes to encounters with alligators, the best possible advice is to try your best not to have those encounters by staying a safe distance of at least 50 feet away. If one bites you, the advice is to make the most noise possible and work hard to get away. Use force if necessary. Don’t approach to take selfies; don’t approach to check if it’s alive; and if you’re headed into any of Florida’s many fresh water streams, lakes or springs, take great care – alligators are often around even if you can’t see them.
The Florida Wildlife Commission gave several tips on safety around alligators, stating:
Warm weather means Florida’s state reptile – the American alligator – is more active and visible. It’s also when people are enjoying the outdoors with their pets. To help keep people and pets safer when spending time near the water, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) offers the following advice to reduce the risk of a conflict with an alligator.
"*" indicates required fields