Florida authorities warn of road rage among mating gators


Save Story

Estimated read time: Less than a minute

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Around this time of year, Floridians don't just have to worry about aggressive drivers on the road — they should be on the lookout for aggressive alligators, too, according to officials who on Friday had to remove a 9-foot (2.8-meter) gator from a county road.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office warned motorists that it’s that time of year when alligators, um, fall in love but might not always be so affectionate.

“It’s gator mating season. This means they could be more mobile and aggressive than usual,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post.

A male gator measuring 9 feet, 2 inches (2.8 meters) had to be removed from a roadway after it was spotted “being aggressive with traffic.” Sheriff’s deputies captured the reptile and relocated him to an alligator farm.

Wildlife officials say mating season in Florida begins in early April and could continue into June.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Most recent Features stories

Associated Press

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Notice.
    Newsletter Signup

    KSL Weather Forecast

    KSL Weather Forecast
    Play button