A woman is confirmed to have been bitten by an alligator at Tiger Creek Canal in Lake Wales earlier today.
The Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) has released the following statement through PIO, Officer Specialist, Aaron Gonzalez, South West Region:
“On March 3, 2025, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) received a report of a woman who was bitten on the elbow by an alligator while paddling at Tiger Creek Canal in Polk County. The FWC and Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the scene, and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper has been dispatched to remove the alligator. The victim was transported to the hospital to be treated for her injuries.
“Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida. The FWC places the highest priority on public safety and administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP). SNAP uses contracted nuisance alligator trappers throughout the state to remove alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property. People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), and we will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation.
“The FWC works to keep Floridians and visitors informed and recommends the following precautionary measures near alligators, including in or near the water, to reduce the chances of conflicts with alligators:
- Keep a safe distance if you see an alligator. If someone is concerned about an alligator, they should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), and we will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation.
- Keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge. Pets often resemble alligators’ natural prey.
- Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.
“Never feed an alligator. It’s illegal and dangerous. When fed, alligators can lose their natural wariness and instead learn to associate people with the availability of food. This can lead to an alligator becoming a nuisance and needing to be removed from the wild.”
Gonzalez, citing an ongoing investigation in regard to this incident, could not comment on the circumstances that led up to the victim being bitten, nor if anyone else was hurt during the incident.
Several stories are circulating in speculation of what may have led to the the victim being bitten. Lake Wales Daily cannot confirm any of that speculation, as FWC is currently working an investigation on the incident.
A further update will be provided at a later time if new information becomes available.
Note: an earlier version of this article referred to the location of the incident as Tiger Creek Preserve, as it was reported to us by FWC. Lake Wales Daily has since confirmed that the incident in question indeed occurred in Tiger Creek Canal. The article has been updated to reflect this.
