Are you in an area where you might have a gator encounter? Although it’s rare, alligators have been known to attack people and their pets.
Do you know what to do if you see an alligator or one is coming after you? If you wait until it happens to look up this article, it’s too late. Alligators are dangerous, wild, and have a fast-growing population. Fifty years ago, there were nearly 100,000 alligators in Louisiana, but today, there are nearly two million in this state. Many states across the South are home to these incredible predators, which is why you should know what to do if you have a gator encounter.
Gators are ambush predators
If you’ve ever watched nature shows about alligators, you can see how these incredible beasts are certainly ambush predators. You might not know a gator is in the area, and then, “bam,” one attacks you. In the South, it’s best to assume every area that has water could be a place where an alligator has made its home.
What should you do when being chased by a gator?
Some have heard they should run in a zig-zag pattern to disrupt the gator, but that won’t work. In fact, this will allow a gator to catch up with you more easily. The biggest advantage you have over an alligator is that you can run on two feet.
Most people, even those who are not in great physical condition, can run faster than an alligator. If you have a gator encounter that turns into a chase, start running and don’t look back until you know for sure you’ve made it to safety. An alligator has more than 80 teeth and can bite down with a force of 3,000 pounds per square inch. That’s not worth a look back to see where the gator is.
What should you do in the water?
In the water, the alligator has the advantage, and it’s a big advantage. The worst thing you can do is panic when you see a gator, and you’re in the water. If you see a gator, stay calm, try to stay still, and don’t panic. The gator might not notice you or care that you’re in the water with them.
How can you handle a gator attack in the water?
Once an alligator attacks you in the water, it’s literally a fight to the death. This gator encounter is going to be you or the gator, and only one will likely survive. The alligator has a distinct advantage in the water, but you might have a chance.
Here are a few things you can do when involved in an alligator attack:
- Attack the gator’s snout
- Attack the gator’s eyes, these animals see very well and want to keep it that way
- Wait until the alligator tries to reposition its bite on you and try to quickly pull away
- Punch and kick as hard as you can
- Fight with all you’ve got
- Stuff things in the gator’s mouth
- Swim away and run,run, run
How can you avoid being attacked by an alligator?
If you’d like to avoid the panic and challenge of being attacked by an ancient wild animal, you’ve got to know what to do. Here are some ways to avoid having a gator encounter at all.
Be careful where and when you swim or walk
It might sound like fun to take your beloved pet down by the water to let them jump in the water and catch sticks, but an alligator could be in the water. Avoid areas of standing water.
Closely supervise children and pets in and around water
Dogs resemble the natural prey of alligators, which makes them more susceptible to being attacked than people. Keep your dogs and children away from standing water.
Do not feed an alligator or try to take selfies
If you didn’t capture it with a selfie or share it on social media, it didn’t really happen, right? Wrong. Alligators are wild animals and shouldn’t be fed by people, and you don’t need to get close enough or a better picture.
If you see an alligator, run away
Some golf courses have alligators, and that makes things a bit odd, but if you see an alligator, you should avoid getting close to it and run away if it starts coming your way.
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