The Alexander Springs public swimming area in Florida’s Ocala National Forest was shut down temporarily Monday after an alligator bit a man while he was snorkeling.
The U.S. Forest Service got word at 12:30 p.m. Monday that the snorkeler was attacked by a 7.5-foot gator.
The snorkeler, unnamed by the U.S. Forest Service, suffered puncture wounds from the alligator’s jaws and teeth. He transported himself in search of medical care.
While alligators mainly mate from May through June depending on the temperature, July is the peak of nesting season. Alligators become more aggressive in search of food and protection for their eggs. A nesting alligator was removed from the Alexander Springs swim area earlier this month to prevent incidents akin to the Monday attack.
The attacking alligator was removed from the area and euthanized.
“For the situation, for public safety and for my safety, capturing it alone in a canoe, we ended up having to euthanize it. It just got a little hairy,” Joseph Vela, a trapper who helped wrangle the gator, explained to WCJB-TV, a Gainesville ABC affiliate.
As of Wednesday, the Alexander Springs recreation area was once again open to public visitation and use, according to the U.S. Forest Service website.
Adventure Ocala, which operates in the Ocala National Forest per agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture that oversees the Forest Service, indicates on its website that the swimming and picnic portions of the site are still closed.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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