rlmalisz

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/fl...g-nature-trail

Troul 

Tip: Don't ride recklessly or carelessly in a swamp surrounded by woods.

JoeyBike

That alligator was paying more attention to her surroundings than most motorists.

CliffordK

So, was the alligator killed because a cyclist rode his bike into the water?

jon c. 

They generally don't kill them, they just move them to another location.

Rick

The last year I lived in Florida four female triathletes were killed by alligators. Anything that goes into the water in Florida is considered food.

CliffordK

Where were they attacked?

Trails? Swamps? Open water ocean?

Rick

I believe mostly lakes. Alligators will enter any body of water. This includes back yard pools. When the boy scouts were training for the one mile swim, we had several boats rowing along with them so we could watch for alligators. I believe the women were killed because they didn't have assistance from others were they chose to practice.

fredlord

What belongs in a swamp more, an alligator or a mountain bike?

CliffordK

I think a Mountain Bike!!!

MinnMan

Really? 4 triatheletes in one year? Seems exceptional. According to this article
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...-park-n1274448
alligators are responsible for only 25 deaths in Florida over the 70 year period 1948-2019.

work4bike

List of fatal alligator attacks in the United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._United_States



.

Rick

I stated what I heard from local news at the time of these incidents. The same year a 16 year old tourist jumped in the water during an airboat tour and was killed by an alligator. Death is bad for tourism.

bikecrate

I was riding not too long ago in the Ocala Nat Forest FL. It was a heavy wooded area with some unpaved roadway. Too my surprise I saw two alligators lying in the ditches beside the road. It was the last thing I expected to see in the forest. After that I kept a close eye on things that might be logs, but could be something else.

genec

Was riding off road trails in east central Florida, when I hit a big exposed root and managed to crash my bike in a creek. Decided to stick to paved paths after that. Looks like it was the best decision I made.

I was in the Malabar area at the time... just up the road from Port St. Luci. I remember one time going for a little hike in a "sanctuary" and encountering a warning sign... said stay 15 feet away from any gators and that gators were present everywhere.

MinnMan

That makes for grisly reading. Seems like the total from 1948 should be greater than 25, though not all were in Florida.

In my one trip to the everglades, we saw a few gators and my Floridian hosts assured me they are mostly harmless. Mostly.

work4bike

A couple things that probably factor in to that number. 1. We've been encroaching on their habitat. 2. They were once very close to extinction, because of hunting from the 1800's to the mid-1900's. Luckily they got on the endangered species list and there has been a great comeback. Not only are they not considered endangered, but their population is extremely healthy now.

MinnMan

And with climate change, their habitat should be expanding! On to Virginia!

Rick

The people who raise alligators harvest the eggs and are required to put a percentage of the alligators they raise back in the wild. I saw a video on you tube about this and I believe the alligators that were put back in the wild were released at around four foot long.

Rogan

Around here nuisance alligators are relocated to the trappers freezer. Alligators are the most dangerous to humans during the breeding period. Next would be the urban alligators that are being fed by humans. Alligators love marshmallows. Humans love to watch a ten foot alligator grab a tiny marshmallow, not realizing they are creating a potential human hazard.

I also run in addition to biking. The route I take running has a small bridge over a narrow spot between two lakes. There are two small alligators that hang out near the bridge and quickly come to the edge of the dirt embankment most every time I run past. These two are obviously being fed. Hope I do not slip off the sidewalk one morning.

Rick

I was at Kissimmee park in Florida with our scout troop and some clown was in a small boat feeding an alligator some Mc Donald's food. The Alligator decided to take more meat and latched onto the mans arm pulling him into the water. With the help of others he got loose from the alligator but lost most of the forearm down. You can't fix stupid.

Bald Paul

Next time the missus is "in the mood", I'll have a good look around first!

indyfabz

Another article said it was going to be relocated.

indyfabz

Wonder if he was riding Gatorskin tires.

indyfabz

Just think of how many humans are responsible for the deaths of other humans during that period.

#AlligatorsAreNotTheProblem