What to do if attacked by an alligator?

I hear a lot about alligator attacks in Florida. What would you do if you or your kid was attacked by an alligator?

 

When you are in the water, the best thing you can do is to get out of it. Alligators are so good in water and you cannot match their strength and natural swimming skills. If you are on a canoe or small boat, you probably have a paddle. You can use that paddle to discourage the reptile from launching an attack. You don't have to hit the alligator, just let it know that you have a paddle by waving it continually. And when the alligator comes nearer, you wave the paddle nearer its eyes. That would certainly stymie the alligator. However, until you are in the water, the peril of being attacked will always be there so you still have to get out of the water.

 

There are things you could do but I don't know if they would help. Fact though is when anything attacks and you fight back odds are it will let go. So if you are attacked by a gator:

- Don't try to pry open a gator's jaws because you can't. Instead focus on hitting it in the snout. If you can find a hard object like a rock this will work quite well. Strike hard, fast and many times. It'll let go.

- Reach for the reptiles eyes and try to gouge them out. Well not really but you are trying to inflict maximum pain forcing it to open it's jaws.

You also need to know some basic first aid to stop bleeding because a number of people who've been saved after being attacked by alligators died because they lost too much blood.

 

I think I should try hitting it hard using a metal rod. But if there are many gators around I will have to call my neighbours to help in the rescue. I will also try to pull it by it's tail so that it cannot drown the victim.

 

If the alligator has you in its jaws, then there is really little that you can do if you are currently unarmed. You could try to strike it in its eyes but that has only a low probability of success. On the other hand, if the alligator has not yet physically attacked you and you are on terra firma, then running in a diagonal pattern will allow you to escape since alligators, though possessing good straight-line speed, have difficulty changing direction abruptly on land so by the time the alligator reorients itself to attack, you should be able to put some distance between yourself and the alligator.

 

I hadn't thought about the running diagonally thing. It makes a lot of sense and I'll keep that in mind just in case. Thanks for the information.

 

The area I come from is not big on alligators. However, bigger rivers have crocodiles which have a reputation of their viciousness. I have read some information that the best way to tackle them is to hole by the nose as tightly as possible while yelling for assistance. I would also attempt to insert a big stick into its mouth to prevent it from flexing its jaws to bite.

 

Yeah I've heard about holding their mouths clamped shut. Apparently their muscles aren't very strong when it comes to opening their mouths but are far stronger when they are being shut. Although if confronted with a crocodile, I don't know if I'd have the mental clarity to think about all this.

 

Yоu hаvе tо fight bасk аs hаrd аs pоssiblе! Mаkе it nоt wоrth thе еffоrt! аlligаtоrs аnd сrосоdilеs аnd саymаns аrе аll соld blооdеd. Thаts why thеy bаsk in thе sun during thе dаy tо rеgulаtе thеir bоdy tеmp. Thеy аrе mоst асtivе in thе еvеning, аnd еаrly mоrning hоurs bесаusе thаts whеn thеir еnеrgy lеvеls аrе highеst (think nоt tоо hоt, nоt tоо соld, but just right.) sо hоpеfully thаts nоt whеn thе аttасk hаppеns! аs оthеrs hаvе pоstеd gоing аftеr its еyеs саn bе еffесtivе, but yоu will hаvе tо rеаlly dig intо thеm bесаusе mоst wаtеr dwеlling rеptilеs hаvе dоublе еyеlids, аnd hоrnеd prоtrusiоns оf hidе аrоund thеir еyеs tо prоtесt thеm frоm thеir prеy, in this саsе yоu! Stiсking а fingеr in its nоstrils might prоvе mоrе еffесtivе аs thеy аrеn’t аs prоtесtеd.аlsо if yоu саn mаnаgе tо еxtrасt yоursеlf, try pinning its mоuth сlоsеd, whilе gеtting оn tоp оf it.аlligаtоrs, сrосоdilеs аnd саymаns hаvе VеRY strоng dоwnwаrd bitе prеssurе, but thе musсlеs usеd tо оpеn its mоuth аrе nоt nеаrly аs strоng! Its а саtсh 22, in thаt yоu gоt him in а pоsitiоn thаt hе саnt аttасk yоu, but yоu hаvе thе prоvеrbiаl “Tigеr, by thе Tаil”! Whаt hаppеns whеn yоu lеt gо right? аt thаt pоint sсrеаm yоur frеаkin’ brаins оut аnd hоpе sоmеоnе hеаrs yоu!

 

Haha, yeah I've heard of the alligator bite thing. As I said to someone else, I don't think I'd ahve the mental clarity in the heat of the moment to try clamping its mouth down and getting on top of it. And I certainly don't think I have it in me to stick my fingers down their nostrils. Thanks for the information.