Updated
Updated · Ocala · Jun 29
Florida Trappers Kill 2 Alligators After 31-Year-Old Woman Dies in River Attack
Updated
Updated · Ocala · Jun 29

Florida Trappers Kill 2 Alligators After 31-Year-Old Woman Dies in River Attack

3 articles · Updated · Ocala · Jun 29

Summary

  • Two alligators measuring 12 and 13 feet were caught and killed after a 31-year-old Orlando woman was fatally bitten while swimming in the Econlockhatchee River near Oviedo on Sunday.
  • FWC said she was in about 3 feet of water with her boyfriend and a friend around 1:30 p.m., suffered bites to both arms, and died on the way to a hospital; the trailhead stayed closed until 7:30 p.m.
  • A second alligator incident the same day left a boy fishing in Marion County with a hand bite, and a June 21 attack injured a snorkeler, making three alligator attacks in Florida within a week.
  • Florida has about 1.3 million alligators, and officials say attacks remain rare but have killed 32 people since 1948; they urge people to swim only in designated areas during daylight.

Insights

Beyond the fatal bite, what do alligators reveal about the invisible pollutants in the water we share?
As Florida’s population grows, are reactive killings the best strategy for coexisting with 1.3 million alligators?