The moment a TikTok poster was taking a walk in Florida and stumbled on a huge alligator has shocked the internet.
Poster @saltynaplesmama shared the video that has since gained more than 3.9 million views in a few days. The text overlay reads: “POV [Point of view]: You go out for a mental health walk, but you live in Florida…”
As two people behind the camera walk on the grassy verge in Naples, Florida, the huge alligator comes into view. “Oh my gosh, he’s really big,” says a voice from behind the camera.
After a little careful manoeuvring, the man in the video walks past the alligator casually, and prompts the woman behind the camera to do the same.
It is here that the alligator let out a huge hiss. Alligators hiss as a territorial or defensive behavior to repel others or deter perceived threats. This vocalization is a warning sign, indicating that the alligator feels threatened and prefers to maintain its distance. When you hear an alligator hiss, it is advisable to keep as much distance as possible and move away as the animal may strike.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says that alligators can be found in all 67 counties in the state. Although exact population figures are not known, the Sunshine State has an estimated population of about 1.3 million alligators.
Over the last 10 years, Florida has averaged eight unprovoked bites per year that are serious enough to require professional medical treatment. From 1948 to 2022, 453 unprovoked bite incidents have occurred in Florida, 26 of these bites resulting in human fatalities.
The Florida FWC says that, if anyone in the state believes they have encountered an alligator that they think will pose a threat to people, they should call FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline, toll‐free at 1‐866‐FWC‐GATOR (392‐4286).
Zachary Jaynes/Getty Images
The FWC also advises people to be wary of alligators near the water, avoid unposted swimming areas, and never feed or entice alligators, as this is both dangerous and illegal.
In thousands of comments on the video, people were shocked by the presence of the huge alligator, and how relaxed the people in the video were.
“I won’t even enter a field with cows in where I live. I will happily turn around and add another 30 minutes to my walk,” wrote viewer Lyndsay.
User Ispeaksdahtruth posted: “I would’ve walked around the entire state before passing an 8ft alligator along that trail!”
The video also captured the tense moment when the alligator hissed at the camera holder, prompting user illy to comment: “Not him telling you to go past the gator after it hissed at you/ I would never forgive.”
Other viewers were shocked that the people got so close to the animal. “I would promptly turn around and walk away. Who would willingly get that close??? Death wish I guess,” wrote commenter Paulie.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.