LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) – Chances are you have seen the amazing video of a breath-takingly big Florida alligator here in the bay area. The images are so impressive many people thought they were faked.
The gator encounter is surely drawing worldwide attention and quite a following. But, the extra attention is coming with extra problems.
Crowds of people are flocking to Circle B Bar Reserve to catch a glimpse of the massive creature.
This video has quickly turned this Jurassic sized gator into overnight superstar.
Regulars of the Polk County reserve over the years have nicknamed the gator “Humpback.”
“It’s huge, and when it roars the ground shakes. I mean, we were 100 yards away and it just shook everything,” said visitor Burks Oakley.
The newfound fame could come with a price. “We’re really nervous about people being foolish and doing things they shouldn’t do,” Director of Polk County Natural Resources Jeff Spence said.
The obsession with seeing and catching this creature on camera already has people behaving badly.
“We’ve already had one individual that jumped off a viewing platform and ran back to a piece of land that was not a trail, so he could try to get a photograph of this gator. He was asked to leave,” Spence said.
“This is a very large gator. Most likely he has lived his whole life here, and we want him to live the remainder of his life out here. We don’t want to have to destroy him because of people doing something they should not have been doing,” Spence said.
Not only that, it’s dangerous.
“I you see a gator, don’t get near it. Just look at it from a distance, admire it, thank god for its beauty, it’s here. Then just go on about your day before bad things happen,” Dustin Hooper, Owner of All Creatures Wildlife said.
Officials at the reserve have this advice for visitors.
“Stay on the trails. Do not get in the water. Do not feed or approach the animals. You may not just run across gators. You may also run across biting insects, snakes, wild hogs, bobcats, bears. We’re asking visitors to respect all of our wildlife,” Spence said.
