Two huge alligators went at it on a Florida golf course with two cranes standing by mere feet away.
Fox News posted the video of the encounter on its Instagram account.
The brawl took place in Rotonda West, Florida. It unfolded across the golf course lawn, with both alligators snapping at the other’s tail.
Alligators Common in Florida
Rotonda West is located in Charlotte County, along Florida’s Gulf Coast. It has a population of about 15,600 people.
Alligators live in all 67 of Florida’s counties, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The state has seen explosive human population growth over recent years. So human-alligator interactions are on the rise.
Florida wildlife officials remind people to contact the FWC Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286 if they run across an alligator. You should never try to feed an alligator. In fact, it’s best to keep your distance from alligators if you happen across one or more of them.
Alligators vs. Crocodiles
Crocodiles also live in Florida. But they are mostly around the southernmost tip of the state. They are greenish as opposed to black in color. And they have a narrow, pointed snout as opposed to a broad rounded one.
The American crocodile used to be an endangered species. It is now only a threatened species.
While crocodiles live in saltwater areas, alligators are most common around fresh or brackish water.
Alligators are at their most active from dusk to dawn. They have been known to go after dogs because cats and dogs are close in size to the alligators’ natural prey.
For the most part, alligators smaller than four feet in length are too small to be dangerous. Still, Florida averages about five unprovoked alligator bites per year.
Over the past decade, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has gotten an average of 16,000 complaints per year about alligators.
