Heavy rains caused by Hurricane Milton allow alligators to move through urban areas of Florida. (EFE/EPA/Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich)
Florida is recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Miltonbut as residents assess the damage, some are encountering unexpected visitors on their streets, in their yards, and even inside their homes: displaced wild animals because of the floods. Among the most notable, the alligators They have been protagonists of several meetings that have surprised Floridians.
One of the most talked about incidents occurred on Thursday morning, October 10, in Tampawhen a caiman He was captured on video resting peacefully in the garden of a house.
Meanwhile, in North Fort Myersother caiman was seen attacking the tire of a vehicle that was traveling through flooded watersduring Wednesday night’s storm, according to local media reports.
Given these unusual encounters, wildlife experts They have called for calm, advising residents to stay away from the animals and avoid any type of confrontation.
Snakes and other wildlife seek refuge on high ground after flooding in Florida. (EFE/Carol Lyn Parrish/FWC)
Florida It is known for its rich biodiversity and its clima subtropicalhome to a wide variety of animals. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissionthe state is home to more than 700 species of terrestrial animals and more than 200 species of freshwater fish, in addition to thousands of insects and other invertebrates.
However, the tropical stormslike the recent Hurricane Miltondrastically alter the natural habitatsforcing many of these creatures to move in search of refugio.
He forest ecologist Frank Mazzottiof the University of Floridaexplained to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that many animalslike the wild mammals and the snakesthey are expelled from their burrows due to heavy rains and floods.
Alligators, which normally hide during storms, emerge in residential areas due to the impact of Hurricane Milton. (Facebook/MacDill Air Force Base)
These animals They tend to seek higher ground to stay dry, which explains the higher concentration of snakes that some residents have reported in their backyards. “The animals “Those who prefer to keep their feet dry head to higher ground,” Mazzotti commented.
Los alligators They seem to be surprisingly resistant to hurricanes. Mazzotti recalls a study that he and his team carried out in 2017, during the passage of Hurricane Irma. The research team placed radio collars in eight alligators Everglades National Park to monitor their movements.
When Irma hit in September of that year, data showed that alligators They didn’t seem particularly affected by the storm. “Some animals “They tried to hide, while others acted as if nothing was happening,” Mazzotti told the WSJ.
Although their presence may seem threatening, experts insist that they pose no danger if left alone. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
One of the great challenges for residents of Florida is to deal with alligators. The state is home to an estimated population of 1.3 million, although not all of them live in areas affected by the virus. Hurricane Milton. Like many others animalslos alligators They have the ability to detect changes in the barometric pressurewhich warns them of the imminent arrival of a storm.
According to Chris Gilletterehabilitator wildlife and co-owner of Bellowing Acresan animal rescue facility in northern Floridalos alligators They tend to go underwater before the storm makes landfall and can remain below the surface for up to six hours without breathing, waiting out the danger.
However, when the storm ends and the water begins to subside, the alligators They also start moving again. The floods They allow them to move freely through areas that would normally be blocked by fences or dry land. “You definitely have to be alert,” he warns. Gillettepointing out that although the alligators They do not usually hunt during a storm, their presence in urban areas It is something that should be treated with caution.
Following Hurricane Milton, Florida residents have reported numerous sightings of alligators in their neighborhoods. (Andrew Wevers/USA TODAY Sports)
As unsettling as it can be to come face to face with a caimanlos experts ensure that these reptiles They are not interested in humans as prey. According to Savannah Boandirector of a wildlife park in Orlando called Gatorlandlos alligators In the wild they only eat about 10 or 15 times a year and can survive without hunting for long periods.
“They’re not looking for food during a storm,” he explains. Boanadding that in the 75 years of the park’s existence, no caiman o crocodile has escaped from its facilities, despite having faced numerous storms.
Los alligatorslike many wild animalsThey only bite if they feel threatened. Although there are cases of attacks on humans, statistics show that these incidents are relatively rare. According to state figures, between 1946 and 2022, 26 human deaths were recorded caused by bites of caiman. In 2023, two people died in Florida due to attacks by these animalsaccording to news reports.
