Alligator In Florida Bites Chunk Of Man’s Leg Off At Popular Florida Tourist Spot

An alligator in Florida bit a chunk of a man’s leg off at a popular tourist spot last week. According to the Huffington Post, Sergio Hernandez, 46, was working at Forever Florida when an alligator approached him and took a chunk out of his thigh. Hernandez was “removing hyacinths from a pond” when he was attacked. He was so severely injured that he needed surgery.

Trappers were called to the area where they removed two big gators — one was 8.5 feet long, and the other was 11 feet long. According to Fox News, there is a lot of wildlife on the grounds of Forever Florida, but the alligators did not belong to the company. It is unknown if they had taken up residence in the pond, of if they migrated their on a journey elsewhere.

The alligator in Florida that took a chunk from the man’s leg as well as the other large gator have been moved to an undisclosed location (perhaps a sanctuary). Meanwhile, Mr. Hernandez is still recovering from his injury, but is lucky to be alive.

Forever Florida is located in St. Cloud. The tourist spot offers zip-lining, horseback riding, as well as a summer program for kids. According to their website, the grounds are made up of almost 5,000 acres of conservation. They are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and are open today, less than a week after the gator attack.

“Forever Florida is a unique eco-tourism attraction located in St. Cloud, Florida; just one hour southeast of Orlando. Departing from a picturesque Florida cattle and horse ranch, guest’s journey deep into the 4,700-acre Forever Florida Wildlife Conservation Area.

This very special place encompasses 9 distinct ecosystems and is pristinely preserved just as nature intended. Guests experience natural streams, forests, pastures, wetlands and learn about the wide array of Forever Florida’s wildlife including alligators, black bears, white-tail deer and the endangered Florida panther.”

Alligator attacks in Florida aren’t all that rare. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, people and animals are attacked by gators from time to time. Over the Fourth of July weekend, a family lost their 11-year-old dachshund to a gator. If you are in an area that is populated by alligators or crocodiles, you should remain cautious. It is unknown if the property at Forever Florida has seen gators before or if Mr. Hernandez was aware that he was in an area where alligators were roaming/swimming.

[Photo by Stacy Revere / Getty Images Sport]