Giant Alligator Drags to Death 85-Year-Old Florida Woman While Walking Her Dog

A giant alligator attacked and killed an 85-year-old woman while walking her dog in Florida, according to reports.

The 10-foot alligator knocked down and dragged the Florida woman by her feet before dragging her into a retention pond.

The incident is considered to be an unprovoked attack since the reptile came out of nowhere and initially lunged onto the woman's dog, which she defended during the ordeal.

There is a large population of alligators across the Sunshine State.

However, Florida wildlife experts assert that fatal alligator attacks are rare but still occur.

One of the main reasons for alligator encounters is the growing expansion of human settlements in Florida.

In other locations, similar cases of human-wildlife conflict happen when humans enter the territories of wild animals.

Alligator Attacks Florida Woman

The Florida alligator attack occurred on Monday, February 20, just after noon near the community retention pond at Spanish Lakes Fairways.

It is a community in Fort Pierce, a city situated 67 miles north of West Palm Beach, according to the state's Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Residents told NBC affiliate WPTV of West Palm Beach that the victim was attempting to fight off the alligator after it grabbed her dog, as cited by NBC News.

The witnesses then called 911, an FWC spokesperson confirmed, as cited by the US news agency.

Florida Alligator Population

Wildlife officials have estimated there are 1.3 million alligators across Florida, and the FWC previously warned the public to be aware of the increase in alligator activity and the possibility of encountering them, as reported by The Palm Beach Post.

The Florida news outlines an interactive map, showing that the prehistoric predators are not confined to wildlife areas but have also made their way in all areas of the states, from Pensacola to the Florida Keys, as nuisance alligators.

An alligator is considered a nuisance if it is more than 4 feet long and poses a potential risk to humans, pets, and property.

With this, the FWC has a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) that aims to resolve alligator threats in developed areas, while conserving their population in their own natural habitats across the state.

The FWC urges people who have concerns on alligator should call their Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR.

Florida Alligator Attacks

Despite the rarity of fatal alligator attacks, several cases were recorded in the US in recent years.

Previous reports indicated that the reason behind such unprovoked attacks are related to territory and mating, which alligators engage in at a certain period of the year, particularly May and June.

This means courtship stars in early April, according to the FWC.

In 2022, a giant alligator dragged and killed a man into a retention pond near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Also last year, another gator killed a man who was searching for frisbees at Taylor Lake in Florida.

In 2016, an alligator dragged and killed a 2-year-old boy named Lane Graves, who was on vacation with his family at Walt Disney World, into the Seven Seas Lagoon.

In 2015, a 12-foot alligator killed a 62-year-old man while snorkeling at Blue Spring State Park in Volusia County, Florida.