Alligator bites Florida woman on arm and leg during hiking trail attack, FWC officials say
A woman was attacked by an alligator while on a hiking trail in the Bird Rookery Swamp in Collier County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said.
The FWC said the incident happened on Sunday, when an alligator emerged from the water and bit the woman on her arm and leg. She was rushed to the hospital, but her condition has not been released.
The Bird Rookery Swamp Trail has 12-miles of hiking and biking trails, including a 1,500-foot boardwalk, according to nonprofit Crew Land & Water Trust.
Hiker reactions after Collier County alligator attack
Signs warning about alligators are posted throughout the trails, according to CBS-affiliate WINK in Fort Myers.
Susan Knowlton, who frequently hikes the area, said she was surprised by the incident.
"I'm shocked. I've never heard of anyone being attacked or bit by an alligator," she said, adding that she has never felt threatened by the reptiles. "They are very docile in my experience."
Another hiker, Joshua Bucher, said his approach to avoiding an encounter is to keep his distance.
"I stay away from them. If you give them space, they'll stay away from you," he said.
Alligator kills woman in Central Florida canoeing accident
In May, a woman was killed during an alligator attack while canoeing with her husband on a Central Florida lake.
Authorities said 61-year-old Cynthia Diekema of Davenport died on May 8 when a large alligator overturned their canoe on Lake Kissimmee, near Tiger Creek.
According to the FWC, the alligator thrashed beneath their canoe in shallow water, throwing both occupants overboard. Diekema was bitten and pulled under despite her husband's attempts to save her, FWC officials said.
Nuisance alligator trappers later captured two large gators near the site, including one that matched the description of the animal involved in the attack.
Florida's history of fatal alligator attacks
Fatal alligator attacks in Florida are rare, but not unheard of.
Since 1948, there have been 489 unprovoked bites reported in the state, with 31 resulting in death, according to May data from FWC. Alligator encounters are more likely during the spring and summer mating and nesting seasons, when the animals are most active and protective.
Before the May 2025 fatal attack, the previous deadly human encounter with an alligator was in February of 2023, when an 85-year-old woman was killed while walking her dog along a community pond in Fort Pierce. Earlier that year, a 23-year-old man lost his arm in an attack near a pond behind a bar in Port Charlotte.
State wildlife officials urge the public to remain alert near freshwater and follow safety guidelines: keep a safe distance from alligators, leash pets near water, swim only in designated areas during the day, and never feed alligators.