AVE MARIA, Fla. – Kayla Burress of Ave Maria, Florida, thought someone was breaking into her home.
She found something even scarier. Two alligators fighting on her back porch.
“It definitely looked like they were fighting over territory or something. It wasn’t like a mating ritual that I had seen, because there was blood and it had it some hind quarters, like in its jaws through the door,” Burress told WINK-TV in Southwest Florida.
The gator battle left the porch in tatters. They tore through the screened enclosure and left behind twisted metal and shredded mesh.
“It was scary and I just warned everybody else in the neighborhood, like, watch your kids. Watch the dogs. Because it was, it was fast and they were powerful,” Burress said.
Alligator mating season is now underway in Florida.
While alligator attacks aren’t common, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has recorded over 450 of them stemming back to 1948, with around 30 being fatal.
To reduce the risk of alligator attacks, local officials have provided the following tips:
- Never feed alligators — it’s dangerous and illegal
- Keep pets on a leash and never walk them at the edge of a body of water
- Never swim outside of posted swimming areas and swim only during daylight hours
- Closely supervise children when they are playing in and around water
- Pay attention to your surroundings and be aware of possible presence
- If you see a baby alligator, know the mother is close by watching. Never handle the babies — they are not pets
If you have concerns about an alligator in your neighborhood, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Nuisance Alligator Hotline at (866) 392-4286.