Gatorland Tip Saved Girl, 10, During Alligator Attack

ORLANDO, FL — A 10-year-old girl attacked by an alligator in Lake Mary Jane in the Orlando area Saturday is on the mend thanks to a tip she learned at a theme park. The girl poked the gator’s nostril after it chomped down and then pried her leg free.

The child, who hasn’t been identified, was sitting in about 2 feet of water at the lake in Orange County’s Moss Park around 2:32 p.m. May 6 when the gator attacked, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. Right after the bite, the girl reportedly remembered advice she learned during a trip to Gatorland. The poke, it seems, enabled her to escape with a bite that required 10 stitches.

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FWC confirmed the girl was in a designated swim area with a lifeguard on duty at the time of the attack. She was about 30 feet from shore at the time, about 10 feet away from the other four members of her party.

The child was "able to pry the alligator's mouth open and remove her leg," an email from FWC said. She suffered a laceration on the front of her knee and puncture wounds to the back of her knee and lower thigh, the agency reported.

The May 6 attack has Orange County Parks and Recreation Department officials taking no chances. Although the 8-foot-9 gator was captured and euthanized after biting the girl on the calf and knee, the swimming area along Lake Mary Jane remains closed “until further notice,” the county’s website said on Monday.

Saturday’s bite isn’t the first reported in Lake Mary Jane involving a human and alligator encounter. Triathlete Doug McCard was bitten in 2010, the Orlando Sentinel reported. He managed to break free but was bitten more than seven times.

Gatorland is a 110-acre theme attraction in the Orlando area. The park dates back nearly 70 years. A trainer at the park, Donald Aldarelli, said the little girl made the right move in poking the gator’s nostril.

See also: Florida Alligators: What You Need To Know

“If you're ever in that position where an alligator were to grab a hold of you, the nose, not the eyes, the nose is the spot you want to go for," WFTV quoted Aldarelli as saying. "To get an animal with the strongest bite on the planet to let go of you is a miracle. I'm just happy that she heard it here. I'm happy that she remembered."

While Saturday’s tale has a unique twist, it’s generally a pretty familiar story in Florida. The state has recorded 388 alligator bites involving people since 1948. Twenty-four of those bites resulted in fatalities.

Florida is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators. That means they’re likely to be found in all parts of the state — a message the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission frequently shares.

“You are likely to find alligators in almost every body of freshwater in the state at some time or another,” said Gary Morse, FWC spokesman. “Alligators also frequent brackish waters and are sometimes found in saltwater where they will remain for short periods.”

The first rule of living with gators or visiting a state where they are so abundant, Morse said, is to “never approach an alligator – appreciate it from a safe distance.”

See also: McDonald’s Loving Gator Gets To Stay With Florida Woman

While alligator encounters can happen any time of the year in Florida, the critters are more active during hotter periods.

“All reptiles are more active in warmer months,” said Morse. “The body temperature and activity levels of alligators and other reptiles is directly related to the temperature of their surroundings.”

To help people stay safe around alligators, the state has created an educational brochure that Morse recommends all residents and visitors check out.

“It’s imperative that people become informed about alligators and alligator safety,” he said. “Go to our website at MyFWC.com and read the Living With Alligators brochure.”

To find out more about Gatorland, check out its website.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission