Man Swims In Florida Pond During High-Alert Gator Mating Season, Gets Bitten By Alligator

A man was hospitalized Sunday after he was bitten by an alligator while swimming at a pond in southwest Florida’s North Venice area.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) received a report about a 39-year-old man getting bitten by an alligator at around 10.50 a.m. Sunday, mysuncoast.com reported, citing authorities.

The man was bitten while he was swimming in the large pond. Cops and authorities from the Venice Fire Rescue responded to the scene and the man was flown to Sarasota Memorial Hospital where is being treated for injuries he suffered to his left leg.

FWC officers, as well as a nuisance alligator trapper contracted by the commission, responded to the incident, the outlet reported. The FWC is currently probing into the alligator attack.

"Anything below a waist on a human would be considered a natural, would be considered what they normally eat," Justin Matthews, a Wildlife Rehabilitator from Matthews Wildlife Rescue, told ABC 7.

Earlier this month, a 25-year-old man who dived into the Myakka River to look for megalodon shark teeth got bitten by an alligator. The victim, Jeffrey Heim, while speaking about the incident, said he felt as if he got hit by a propeller at first but later found himself between the jaws of the gator. The man managed to get out of the water and call for help. Heim was bitten in his head and hand and suffered a skull fracture, which required 34 staples.

About 1.3 million alligators inhabit Florida waters and their mating season begins when the weather turns warm. The gator mating season typically runs from May through June and they are likely to remain more active than usual during that period, according to FWC, reported ABC Action News.

The FWC has also warned residents and visitors to never feed alligators during their mating season as it leads them to associate humans with food, which can have dangerous consequences.