Southwest Florida experts explain why summer brings more alligator encounters

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, (WINK) – A string of recent alligator attacks across Florida, including one that turned deadly, is serving as a reminder that summer is one of the most active times of year for the state’s iconic reptiles.

Wildlife experts in Southwest Florida say the recent incidents should not cause panic, but they should encourage people to be more aware whenever they’re near freshwater.

“It’s not worth taking a chance,” said Patty Register, co-owner of Gatorama in Glades County. “The summer is when we want to be out and around the water, but we have to be realistic and know that this is the most dangerous time.”

The register says several factors come together during the summer months. Breeding season has ended, female alligators are now guarding nests, and in parts of Florida, ongoing drought conditions are forcing more alligators into fewer available water sources.

“We’ve had downpours here for the last few days,” Register said. “But we’re not getting rain in the areas where alligators naturally inhabit. Those alligators, where there is water, are being pushed into a more concentrated area.”

She also points to Florida’s rapid growth, saying development continues to bring more people into areas where alligators have lived for generations.

“In Florida, they say we have an alligator in most bodies of water, and that’s probably very, very true,” Register said. “You have to be gator-wise when you live in Florida and when you’re around water.”

Chris Lechowicz, Director of Wildlife and Habitat Management for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, said the recent attacks come during a period when alligators naturally become more active.

“We are in the breeding season right now. We’re kind of at the end of it, and the animals will be laying eggs around now,” Lechowicz said. “Female alligators protect their nests, and after the hatchlings hatch, they protect their young as well. Alligators can also become very territorial at this time of year because they’re trying to mate and they’re trying to keep other male alligators out of the area.”

Despite the recent attacks, Lechowicz stresses that serious encounters remain uncommon.

“They estimate that there’s between 1.3 and 2 million alligators in the state, so they’re in most water bodies,” he said. “A normal wild alligator, if it sees a human being, especially an adult human being, will normally swim away. On rare occasions, there are attacks.”

Instead of fearing alligators, Lechowicz says Floridians should understand they are sharing space with a native predator.

“We are in their habitat,” he said. “The alligators were here a long time before we were, and when you live in an area like this or you visit, you just have to know the rules. There are hazards everywhere. This is something that we live with in Florida.”

Both experts agree that one of the biggest mistakes people can make is feeding alligators.

Register demonstrated the difference at Gatorama, where the captive animals approached her as feeding time began.

“If I were in the wild and these alligators had not been fed, they would not approach me,” she said. “They would go under and swim the other way or go down to the bottom and try to be invisible to me. These alligators have been fed. That’s when alligators are dangerous.”

She says feeding changes their natural behavior.

“Once we start feeding them, that natural instinct is killed,” Register said. “They’re naturally afraid of us, but once they associate people with food, that’s when problems begin.”

Lechowicz echoed that concern.

“You should never feed alligators,” he said. “Once alligators lose their fear of human beings is when we start to get into trouble. When they become accustomed to food, they associate us with food, and they don’t really do that anymore. That is what usually ends up happening with a lot of these alligator attacks.”

Pet owners should also take extra precautions.

“When an alligator sees an adult human being, they don’t really see us as something they can eat,” Lechowicz said. “But when they see a small animal like a dog on the side of the water, that’s fair game for them. Dogs are the type of prey they naturally go after, and over the years, there have been many incidents where people were bitten while trying to save their pets.”

Experts recommend keeping pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge, avoiding swimming in freshwater at dawn or dusk when alligators are most active, and assuming any freshwater canal, pond, or lake in Florida could contain an alligator.

For Register, the message is ultimately about respect, not fear.

“They are a keystone species of our state,” she said. “When their populations get out of balance, so do a lot of other animals’ populations. They are worth protecting, but they must be respected.”