Wildlife expert gives tips on how to protect yourself and your pets from alligators

JUPITER, Florida. Experts say Florida is more likely to be struck by lightning than the victim of an unprovoked alligator attack.

WPTV spoke to a wildlife expert who explained how to protect yourself and your pets while encountering alligators.

“Here in Florida, if you see a fresh body of water, a lake, a pond, a canal or a stream, it will most likely have an alligator in it,” said Busch Wildlife Sanctuary executive director Amy Kite.

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Kite said alligators remain motionless while waiting for prey.

“They’re hoping that if I lie here still enough, a fish or turtle or bird will basically fly right out of my mouth and I’ll get food,” she said.

Wildlife experts say unprovoked alligator attacks are rare, but they do happen.

RELATED: Here are some notable fatal alligator attacks in Florida

“The problems really arise when people start turning us into alligators,” Kite said.

Kite said perceptions usually change when people start feeding alligators, causing the reptiles to lose their natural fear. According to her, prevention is the best way to avoid a dangerous situation.

“Stay far enough away from the water. You know, many people stay within 10 feet of water. Why? Stick to 15 or 20, be extra safe,” she said.

On the rare occasions when an alligator approaches or starts to approach you, Kite said to get away quickly, not in zigzags. Alligators rush forward and zigzagging slows you down, not the alligator.

“The eyes of the alligators are set wide apart on the head,” Kite said. “So if you’re running right in front of them, it won’t work for you.”

A University of Florida Attack Risk Publication said that if you are attacked, fight as if your life depended on it. If you get bitten, poke the alligator in the eyes, hit and kick it in the head. Often the alligator opens its mouth to move the prey and this is your chance to escape.

“It’s such an instant decision,” Kite said. “I don’t even know if I can talk to him because while I’m working with wildlife, every situation is different.”

Eric Pasquarelli/WPTV

When it comes to pets, people need to be especially careful, especially in the water, Kite says.

WPTV spoke to Charisse White, who said her daughter made a dangerous decision a few years ago by following her dog into a nearby pond.

“The dog went into the water, started to swim into the pond, and my daughter followed her,” she said. “Fortunately, the alligator was not there.

The best advice every wildlife expert gives is to stay away from alligators.

“What we need to know is to leave them alone, not feed them, and just know they are in our environment,” Kite said.