If you live in Florida, you quickly learn three rules: (1) Don’t feed the Gators. (2) Don’t crowd the gators. And (3) Don’t be food for the Gators. But over the weekend, one Florida man forgot the rules for a moment and it almost ended badly for him.
The man, who has remained unidentified, made the mistake of getting too close to a gator got lucky. But then he decided to press his luck and try once again for a close-up photo-op of the huge reptile. The following video shows the alligator charging at the man at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park near Gainesville.
People seem to forget these animals are not in the zoo and don’t realize just how much danger they are in, especially at hatching time for the young animals. This man was determined to get a close-up of the momma gator when he became the focus of story. The man approached the animal getting what the gator felt was too close when the gator lurched forward, sending the would be nature photographer backwards into the brush.
Fortunately, the gator backed off and the man managed to untangled himself and his Tripod from the bushes. But having lost his better sense of caution, he once again stepped forward a second time to try getting closer. The man waited until the gator went back into the water before trying to retrieve his dropped camera bag.
But the second time, the gator did not appear as forgiving and as the man approached, the gator launched itself out of the water, charging at him much faster than the first time. But as the old saying goes, “God must love the stupid people because he made so many of them.” and this man proved the point.
He once again managed to get away unharmed following the second close call. According to Ben Boukari Jr. who posted the video, the “angry mama gator” was defending her babies. The man taking the pictures was off the main boardwalk and the gator felt threatened.
https://youtu.be/yYgVGmG2EIQ
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