Yes, There is an Alligator in Your Neighborhood Pond.

Here’s How to Coexist.

Photo by Liz Caldwell on Unsplash

In a recent post celebrating Florida lakes, I flippantly shared that alligators were present in every body of water in Florida. Little did I know that the state of Florida takes an alligator census every year and some lakes are more populous than others! Let’s dive in and learn more about this reptile that’s more populous than the combined populations of Orlando, Miami, and Tampa!

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates there are 1.3 million alligators in Florida. For comparison’s sake, Florida’s estimated human population is 23 million.

That means there’s one alligator in this state for every 17 Floridians.

According to the most recent census, the top five Florida waterways with alligators are:

1. Lake Okeechobee - 24,678

2. Lake Kissimmee (Osceola/Polk Counties) - 15,404

3. Lake Jesup (Seminole County) - 11,881

4. Orange Lake (Marion/Alachua Counties) - 11,544

5. Lake Poinsett (Brevard County) - 9,950

(FWC points out these are estimates and don’t reveal how they get that data. I sure wouldn’t want that job.)

Alligator on the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. Photo: Author.

Bouncing back from near extinction

While 1.3 million is a sizeable number, it pales in comparison to the alligator populations of the past. It’s estimated that 2.5 million Florida alligators were killed from 1880-1890. A report by the US Fish Commission from that time stated that they were nearly exterminated in the portion of the St. John’s River below Palatka by the end of the 1800s.

Even with those stark figures, hunting without regulations continued to decimate the population in the southeastern United States. The alligator was finally listed as protected in Florida in 1950. It didn’t do much good. Populations continued to decline due to poor compliance.

Finally, with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, alligators were listed as endangered, making it illegal to harvest them. Populations improved and the alligator was downlisted.

In 2024, it is now listed as Threatened due to Similarity of Appearance (T/SA). This means it looks like another endangered species, and the listing protects both species. (You might wonder who its lookalike is: the American crocodile, found in waters at the Southern tip of Florida in the Everglades.)

But what about bites?

With 1.3 million gators and the frequency with which Floridians and tourists enter the water, one naturally wonders how many bites or deaths have been caused by alligators. Especially since those attacks seem to receive lots of media attention.

From 1948 to 2022, 453 unprovoked bite incidents have occurred in Florida. Twenty-six of these bites resulted in human fatalities.

A 2019 report by FWC found that 81% of alligator bite victims are male, and 93% were in the water or near the shore when bitten. Common scenarios that involved bites were feeding an alligator, attempting to retrieve golf balls, and rescuing a pet who was being attacked.

Over the last 10 years, Florida has averaged 8 unprovoked yearly bites that are serious enough to warrant professional medical treatment. With those statistics, the likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident in Florida is roughly only one in 3.1 million.

(How does that compare with other ways to die in Florida?

You have a one in a million chance of being struck by lightning and a one in 11.5 million chance of being bit by a shark. And you’re still more likely to be in a plane crash (1 in 1.2 million chance) than be injured by an alligator.)

(Video: An alligator in the springhead of Wekiwa Springs, with a decaying fish in its mouth. This was early on a winter morning, so no one was swimming yet. But good reminder to always check for critters before entering the water.)

So what?

From all of this data, we can draw two conclusions.

1. Yes, there really are a lot of alligators in Florida.

2. Despite those numbers, the chance of a nature-respecting, commonsensical, sober individual being injured by one is exceptionally low.

Why does all of this matter?

Humans fear what they don’t understand. And when they fear it, they usually try to find ways to exterminate it.

They may not be as cute as manatees or as lithe as a Florida panther, but alligators are a critical piece of the intricate ecosystem and food chain in Florida and southeastern United States. The holes they create to nest in serve as temporary homes for fish during dry seasons. Which then provide food for other animals.

Like all other animals, their territory has been encroached upon by development, and they tend to migrate into areas occupied by humans. Combine that with all of the human-made ponds created to mitigate stormwater runoff and provide ambiance in the concrete jungles we built. And the chance of seeing an alligator in human areas increases.

A pond is a pond… the alligator just wants to be in the water; he doesn’t know it’s in the middle of the 18th fairway.

There are times when it makes sense to relocate an alligator or, unfortunately, euthanize it. But most often, the behavior that drives these results is because of human interference—humans feeding alligators cause them to lose their fear of us.

There’s no need to fear alligators, but we do need to use common sense when around bodies of water.

• Maintain a sizeable distance from the shore when walking your dog.

• Don’t ever feed an alligator (or any wildlife for that matter).

• Have a spare supply of golf balls so you don’t have to stick your hand in murky water traps.

• When in a lake or river, avoid recreating in marshy areas near the shore.

• Give them their space when you do see them.

When viewed from a distance, alligators are quite remarkable creatures, evoking a sense of a prehistoric era. We’re lucky that the population has rebounded since they were nearly hunted to extinction.

And we’re lucky that FWC takes a census. Not only does that help keep an eye on population changes, it also informs us which lakes to never - ever - take a swim in!

Do you have any good stories of encounters with alligators? Love ‘em or hate ‘em? Share in the comments.