Posted on 03/07/2023 6:17:46 AM PST by Red Badger
A Florida man was violently attacked by a 9-foot alligator Saturday at his home in Daytona Beach.
Scott Hollingsworth told local media that he and his wife were watching television on Saturday night when he heard something banging against the door.
“I jumped up and headed over and opened the door, stepped out while trying to reach the lights and barely got out the door and got my leg clamped on and [it] started shaking really violently,” he said. “It happened so quickly, wasn’t a whole lot [of time]. It was just total surprise and shock. We see alligators behind our house, it’s a regular thing, but they always keep their distance from us.”
Hollingsworth thought the alligator was perhaps only 6 or 7 feet long and was surprised to learn that it was closer in size to a fully grown adult at 9 feet long.
“I really didn’t get a good look at it,” he added. “When I saw what it was, I stepped back in the house and closed the door. Looked down and I had a large gash in the side of my leg. I was trying to put pressure on it.”
Hollingsworth said that he had to have surgery on his leg and that he is thankful that the alligator did not grab his knee. He said he won’t get to enjoy riding his bicycle for quite a while.
The attack comes just a couple of weeks after a 10-foot alligator exploded out of a pond and killed 85-year-old Gloria Serge, who was walking her dog at a community retention pond at Spanish Lakes Fairways, a little over a hundred miles away from Daytona Beach.
The alligator, which local media said weighed up to 700 pounds, surged out of the water and tried to grab her dog. Serge tried to fight off the alligator, but it grabbed her foot and dragged her into the water.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that while alligators are still on the federal endangered species list, they can still easily be found all over the state.
“Alligators occur in all 67 counties in Florida and can be found in practically all fresh and brackish water bodies and occasionally in salt water,” the state agency said. “Although exact population figures are not known, Florida has a healthy and stable population of about 1.3 million alligators of every size. This population estimate is based on an estimated 6.7 million acres of suitable habitat.”
It is illegal to feed alligators because feeding them teaches them to associate food with humans and thus causes them to lose their fear of people. Despite their numbers in the state, attacks on people remain relatively rare as they prefer to only attack prey that they can easily overpower.
LOL
Nicely done.
I try to stay near the top...
If I lived in Florida I would shoot Gators and I would probably go to jail for it. I mean come on they crawl out on the road at night and cars get totaled... helluva speed bump.
British Army Officer: Why is your leopard looking at me like that?
Mowgli: Because to him, YOU are FOOD............
The gators are known to frequent the golf course water hazards.
Giant mosquitoes that carry off pets and small children.
Flying cockroaches.
The list goes on…
You don’t have to outrun the gator.
You just have to outrun the guy next to you.............
Couldn’t these alligators (and their Everglades python friends) be relocated to the Rio Grande?
Candygram!
We are up to our ears in Black Bears..................
In NJ, they have more rights than humans.
Always turn on the lights and peek outside to check who’s banging on the door. City rules apply in gator country
Gets up, grabs some coffee and opens the door to greet the morning... “ The birds are singing, the sun is shining - My, what a beautifulllllll.....Yeee-awhhhh!! Lordy, help me!!”.
Maybe moving to a gator infested state wasn’t the best idea he ever came up with?
Maybe ... just maybe ... we should put humans with non-socialists belief systems on the ESL?
But would that protect us from our own government?
Except STATE income tax!
Yup
Why not send them to Martha’s Vineyard? LOL
And THIS is why I carry my light saber with me everywhere. A slash with that and it severs the head. It does so quietly and the neighbors are never the wiser.
Desantis should ship a bunch to Martha's Vineyard.
That’s freaking hilarious.
I love Florida!
I’ve gone through countless hurricanes ( 4 in one year)
ONE big alligator in my backyard
Incredible humidity and heat
Fire Ants, etc
But I love the bright happy sunshine……it’s rarely dreary
Everything is green year round
There is awesome scenery, sunsets and of course, the Atlantic Ocean nearby
For almost 50 years ! From my front yard, I have watched rockets and shuttles lift off
However, I was here during the Challenger explosion…….a sad time for all
Please if you don’t like Florida, stay away
……but I love it!
Been a Florida resident since 1969!....................
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