Florida: Alligator Attack in Ocala National Forest Under Investigation; Are Gators Common in Springs?

An alligator attack in Florida is under investigation after injuring a snorkeler while swimming in a spring in Ocala National Forest.

The horrifying incident happened on Monday, July 17.

Florida: Alligator Attack in Ocala National Forest Under Investigation

(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)) An alligator surfaces in a pond located near the Space Shuttle Discovery as it sits on launch pad 39b at Kennedy Space Center December 8, 2006, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA will attempt another nighttime shuttle launch on December 19 after scrubbing after the first due to excessive cloud cover.

According to CBS News' latest report, the snorkeler was attacked by an alligator at the Alexander Springs Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest.

The gator that bit the man is estimated to be 8 feet. The snorkeler suffered from lacerations and punctured wounds.

Authorities removed the large reptile so the incident will not happen again.

"The 7 ½ foot-long alligator believed to be involved in the incident was removed this afternoon," said the U.S. Forest Service on July 17 via its official press release.

Because of the alligator attack, USFS said that NFF (National Forest in Florida) decided to temporarily close the Alexander Springs swim area. As of writing, USFS is still investigating the alligator incident.

For those wondering if alligators are common in springs for swimming activities, Chad Weber of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission explained that gators can potentially be found in all types of bodies of water.

"Every body of water has the potential to have an alligator, especially the springs. I mean, that's kind of a misconception that just because the water's cooler, they won't be in there," explained Weber.

Surviving and Avoiding Alligators

(Photo : MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP via Getty Images) An alligator is seen in the Pantanal, near the Transpantaneira park road which crosses the world's largest tropical wetland, in Mato Grosso State, Brazil, on September 13, 2020. - The Pantanal, a region famous for its wildlife, is suffering its worst fires in more than 47 years, destroying vast areas of vegetation and causing the death of animals caught in the fire or smoke.

Avoiding an alligator is the best thing you can do. If you love swimming in springs and other bodies of water, then you need to know when these giant reptiles are mostly active.

Animal experts said that gators are commonly inactive during the cold season, especially winter. But, you still need to take precautions since other gators tend to roam around even in low temperatures.

Now, here are the things you can do if ever you come face-to-face with an alligator:

Don't provoke the alligator by making aggressive movements.
If ever a gator decided to attack you suddenly, the best thing you can do is poke their eyes or hit them in the top part of their skull.
Try escaping on land as much as possible. But, you still need to run in zig-zag since gators also move fast on lands.
If ever the gator was able to bite a part of your body, try causing a gag reflex by jamming any object into the back of its mouth.