Wildlife officials are searching for an alligator that bit a man directly in the face.
Largo Police Department spokesman Lt. Scott Gore told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that Travis Spitzer was in waist-deep water at Taylor Lake at around 5 a.m. Friday, June 12 [date corrected], looking for Frisbees when the gator bit him in the face.
“He used his left hand to pry himself free and as a result had lacerations to his face and hand,” said Gore. “He was transported for medical care and is expected to recover. FWC is responding for the gator.”
The incident comes as Florida is at the peak of alligator mating season, which often runs from May to July depending on temperatures. During this period, it’s not uncommon to see gators roaming around and being more active, says the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
This story originally appeared in our sister paper Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
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