American alligators are unique and fascinating animals that are endemic to the southeastern US. Since they are known to be apex predators, wildlife experts always remind the public to never engage with alligators and to avoid places where they are usually spotted. However, an unfortunate event recently happened involving a family dog and a 9-foot alligator in Florida.
A Florida man lost his 40-pound black labrador after a visit to a local park turned for the worse. He said that it happened so fast that neither of them noticed the alligator lurking near the waterway.
9-Foot Alligator Swiftly Attacks Dog
Joshua Wells was doing his usual lunchtime routine earlier this month, which included taking his dog out for a walk and playing a game of fetch at a local park, Yahoo! News reported.
Wells and his black Labrador Retriever named Toby went to the popular Tallahassee park called J.R. Alford Greenway Trail, where he and his dog was happily playing. Toby was standing in a shallow waterway when an alligator suddenly popped out and attacked the poor dog.
He saw the alligator attack his dog head first and carry it back into the water. The incident happened so quickly that neither of them was able to respond immediately. Wells noted that the alligator took Toby down into the water as if his 40-pound dog was just nothing.
"Boom, the water just sort of exploded," Wells told the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, FOX 13 of Tampa Bay reported. "He never barked. He never saw it."
Wells said he tried to save Toby by grabbing the alligator, but it was 9 feet and 2 inches long. He then realized that it was best for the alligator to go. The incident happened on June 9, and since then, wildlife officials have been looking for the alligator. They were able to find it and the body of the dog in the same place.
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Alligator's Hunting Secrets Caught in Camera
Crocodilians are known to sneak up on their prey when hunting. That is why experts advise pet owners to always keep pets on leashes to prevent them from wandering to areas where the predators lurk.
The hunting style of alligators has fascinated scientists, so researchers decided to strap a camera to the back of an alligator to get a glimpse of how they hunt. The 2014 study was conducted on Merritt Island, a barrier island near Cape Canaveral in Florida, in which the team attached National Geographic Crittercams to the reptiles' backs.
The camera is an improvement from previous research techniques, such as analyzing the stomach contents of alligators to identify their diet, observing the reptiles during the day, and watching them in captivity to record hunting patterns.
Study lead author James Nifong, a doctoral candidate studying alligator ecology at the University of Florida, said that the footage from the camera revealed that alligators are prolific hunters who attack something every two hours. Also, American alligators are twice as successful in their hunting attempts when they are underwater.
Check out more news and information on Alligators in Science Times.
