A 79-year-old man from Naples survives an alligator bite.

According to police, a 79-year-old man was taking a walk around his Florida golf-course community neighborhood when he was bitten by a roughly 7-foot-long alligator and managed to survive.

According to a Facebook post from the Collier county sheriff’s office, the attack took place at around 5am on Thursday in the Forest Glen and Golf Course neighborhood in Naples, according to an article by The Guardian.

A audio of the man who had been bit’s 911 call was acquired by CNN. He stated, “I’m bleeding,” to the operator. I have no idea how horrible it is.

“There’s a lot of skin ripped off I can see, probably some muscle,” the man added. “Go figure, take a walk to keep in shape.”

The individual was transported to a hospital for treatment by an emergency chopper crew. According to the sheriff’s office, a deputy who responded to the 911 call noticed the alligator moving toward a nearby lake and pursued it.

The deputy quickly had a trapper join him, and the deputy indicated where the alligator was. The 6ft 9in (206cm) female alligator was then captured by the trapper and taken out of the neighborhood.

The sheriff’s office informed locals and visitors that it was alligator mating season in a Facebook post about the assault. Alligators’ nesting grounds are vegetation and bodies of water, therefore deputies urged people to exercise extra caution in those areas.

The sheriff’s office article further recommended that people “plan accordingly to reduce the chances of running into them” because alligators are normally most active between nightfall and sunrise.

Although they are still relatively uncommon, alligator bites are not unheard of in Florida. In 2022, there were 11 alligator bites reported by the state’s fish and wildlife conservation commission, with two minor and nine major. According to the commission, none of the bites resulted in death, and the most recent one did so in 2019.

CNN stated that over the previous four or so months, at least two additional humans have been bitten by alligators in Florida. A 10 foot alligator bit a guy in the state in June, causing him to lose his arm. Additionally, an alligator bit a man in Florida who was at his door in March, according to CNN.

The state’s fish and wildlife conservation commission estimates that there are 1.3 million alligators living throughout Florida. In fact, the sports teams of the premier state university go by the moniker Gators.

According to CNN and the commission’s website, alligators that are more than 4 feet long and are deemed to be a hazard to people, pets, or property are killed by trappers hired by Florida officials.

In its statement, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office omitted to mention what happened to the alligator that bit someone on Thursday after the trapper had taken it out of the water.

The original article can be found on The Guardian