BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) – A 77-year-old woman was attacked by an alligator on Saturday night. The call came in at around 6 p.m. and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and Manatee County EMS responded.
According to a report from FWC, the woman was transported to the hospital to be treated for her injuries. The extent of her injuries is still unknown. The incident happened at a gated community at 16832 Ellsworth Avenue. A nuisance alligator trapper was sent to the scene and removed a 7′10′ alligator according to the report from FWC. FWC reported no other alligators were found in the area.
Justin Matthews, the owner of Matthews Wildlife Rescue, said an alligator that size usually weighs around 300 lbs and has extensive jaw power. He said the woman is lucky to be alive and the incident most likely happened because of someone feeding the alligator.
“The way to tell if an alligator has been fed by a person is if your walking and see one out in the pond, move your arm in a throwing motion and if the gator starts moving toward you, its time to call the Florida Wildlife Commission,” said Matthews.
Matthews said alligators, for the most part, won’t pay attention to people walking by unless they have been fed.
The FWC said they are confident the alligator responsible for the attack has been removed, according to their report.
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