Alligators occasionally bite people. However, new research shows that far more of these accidents are due to human choices than previously thought.
What's happening?
The study was conducted by a joint team from the University of Florida and Centre College in Kentucky. It analyzed a ton of data — nearly three centuries, thanks to the CrocAttack database — that captured the moments right before alligator attacks happened.
In the end, the researchers found that a whopping 96% of recorded attacks involved some kind of "human inattention or risk-taking."
The results were divided by risk levels: no risk, low, moderate, and high. The majority of bites happened after moderately risky actions, such as swimming in water that could have alligators. The majority of fatal bites happened after high-risk behavior, such as intentionally disturbing a known alligator habitat.
The study also found that lower-risk actions, such as just being near alligator water, rarely led to an attack. The full findings were published in the journal Human-Wildlife Interactions.
"The takeaway lesson from this study is that many bites can be prevented if humans are aware of their surroundings and minimize risky behaviors," said Frank Mazzotti, a UF professor of wildlife ecology and one of the study's authors.
Why is alligator research important?
The fact that human actions are the leading cause of alligator bites challenges a common belief that alligators are just aggressive and that's why they attack humans.
In reality, the reptiles are simply triggered by certain stimuli, and their natural defense or hunting instincts kick into action.
Such incidents should not even be called "attacks," according to lead author Mark Teshera, a professor at Centre College.
Understanding how wildlife behaves is an important part of being a responsible human presence in any environment, from sharks in the ocean to bears in the forest — and yes, gators in the water.
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Absolutely 👍 However, alligators are usually euthanized if someone gets bitten and the animal is identified. That means preventing people's risky behaviors is key to saving human lives and also for boosting conservation efforts.
What's being done to protect alligators?
The authors of the study recommend that officials focus on educating the public about staying aware and making safe decisions when hanging out in gator territory.
An informed public is especially important during the species' mating season from April to June.
The goal is to create fewer opportunities for alligators to be put down by communicating better with people enjoying the outdoors about how to act. These kinds of interventions could prevent incidents at the source, where humans provoke alligators, intentionally or not.
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