A study released earlier this year by the University of Florida has revealed exactly what’s responsible for the vast majority of alligator attacks in the state.
While alligator attacks are relatively rare, there have still been nearly 500 attacks reported in total since 1948, state officials report. Around 30 of those were fatal.
But UF researchers issued a release in April explaining the leading cause of these alligator bites. As it turns out, “risky human behavior” is what led to 96% of recorded incidents.
According to the study, most bites happened when people were swimming or wading in areas where alligators were known to live.
[RELATED: How many people have been killed by alligators in Florida? The number may surprise you]
On the flip side, simply walking near water or being present on land resulted in far fewer attacks, researchers claimed.
The researchers also said the results of the study show that alligators aren’t looking for trouble. Rather, people swimming, splashing or otherwise entering in these bodies of water triggered the reptiles’ natural response to defend itself or hunt.
“The takeaway from this study is that many bites can be prevented if humans are aware of their surroundings and minimize risky behaviors, such as walking small pets near bodies of water or swimming where alligators are known to be present,” UF Prof. Frank Mazzotti said.
Keeping these points in mind is especially important now, as mating season for alligators in Florida runs through June, making these practices all the more dangerous.
In the meantime, below is a list of all fatal alligator bites in Florida and how they happened.
| Year | Name | Location | Manner of Death |
|---|---|---|---|
| ’73 | Sharon Holmes, 16 | Oscar Scherer Park Sarasota County | Killed while swimming in the lake. |
| ’77 | George Leonard, 52 | Peace River Canal Charlotte County | Seized on the arm while swimming in the canal. He died three days later of complications. |
| ’78 | Phillip Rastrellia, 14 | Hidden River Canal Martin County | Killed while swimming across the canal. |
| ’84 | Robert Crespi, 11 | Unnamed Canal St. Lucie County | Killed while swimming in the canal. |
| ’85 | Paul Mirabito, 27 | Wellington C27 Canal Palm Beach County | Killed while swimming in the canal. |
| ’87 | George Cummings, 29 | Wakulla River Wakulla County | Killed while snorkeling in the river. |
| ’88 | Erin Glover, 4 | Hidden Lake Charlotte County | Killed while standing at the water’s edge. |
| ’93 | Bradley Weidenhamer, 10 | Loxahatchee River Martin County | Killed while wading in the river at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. |
| ’97 | Adam Binford, 3 | Lake Ashby Volusia County | Killed while playing along the lake shore. |
| ’01 | Samuel Wetmore, 70 | Unnamed Pond Sarasota County | Found dead at a pond near his home in Venice. |
| ’01 | Alexandria Murphy, 2 | Lake Cannon Polk County | Found dead at the lake. |
| ’01 | Robert Steele, 82 | Unnamed Wetland Lee County | Killed while walking his dog along the water’s edge near his home in Sanibel on Sept. 11. |
| ’03 | Brian Griffin, 12 | Dead River Lake County | Killed while swimming near a boat ramp. |
| ’04 | Janie Melsek, 54 | Unnamed Pond Lee County | Seized by an alligator while landscaping near the water’s edge. Died of complications from the bite afterward. |
| ’05 | Donald Owen, 56 | Six Pound Pond Polk County | Found dead at the pond near Lakeland. |
| ’05 | Kevin Murray, 41 | Unnamed Canal Charlotte County | Killed while swimming at the canal in Port Charlotte. |
| ’06 | Yovoy Suarez-Jimenez, 28 | North New River Canal Broward County | Found dead along the canal in Sunrise. |
| ’06 | Judy Cooper, 42 | East Lake Woodlands Pinellas County | Found dead in an unnamed canal in Oldsmar. |
| ’06 | Annmarie Campbell, 23 | Ocala National Forest Lake County | Killed while snorkeling in Juniper Run. |
| ’07 | Justo Padron, 36 | Miccosukee Indian Reservation Miami-Dade County | Killed while trying to evade police by swimming across a pond at the reservation. |
| ’15 | James Okkerse, 61 | Blue Spring Run Volusia County | Killed while snorkeling in Orange City. |
| ’16 | Lane Greaves, 2 | Seven Seas Lagoon Orange County | Killed while playing along the shoreline. Two alligators were removed. |
| ’18 | Shizuka Matzuki, 47 | Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park Broward County | Killed while walking her dogs along the water’s edge of an unnamed lake. |
| ’19 | Jardan Battle, 31 | Retention Pond Lee County | Killed while trying to evade police by swimming across the pond in Fort Myers. |
| ’22 | Sean McGuiness, 49 | Taylor Park Pinellas County | Killed while retrieving golf frisbees. Two alligators were removed. |
| ’22 | Rose Weigand, 80 | Boca Royale Golf Course Sarasota County | Killed while gardening at her home. Two alligators were removed. |
| ’23 | Sabrina Peckham, 41 | Local Waterway Pinellas County | Found dead in a nearby waterway. Remains were recovered by deputies. |
| ’23 | Gloria Serge, 85 | Spanish Lakes Fairway St. Lucie County | Her dog was attacked while on a walk. She was pulled into the water while trying to rescue the dog. |
The best way to keep safe from an alligator attack is to avoid them entirely.
To keep safe from alligator attacks, the University of Florida offers these tips:
Don’t feed wild alligators (it’s illegal): It can make the gators associate humans with food and lose their natural fear of people.
Follow directions on signs: Don’t go swimming anywhere outside of posted swimming areas.
Swim during daylight hours: Alligators are most active at night, so daytime is probably a safer option.
Keep an eye on children and pets: Never allow small children to play unattended near the water, and avoid letting your pets too close to the shoreline, as they may resemble the reptiles’ natural prey.
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