Florida Man August 2026

FLORIDA MAN

DEPUTIES IN A RURAL CENTRAL FLORIDA COUNTY RESPONDED THIS WEEK TO REPEATED CALLS ABOUT A LOCAL MAN WHO HAD BEEN FEEDING A LARGE ALLIGATOR FROM HIS BACK DOCK FOR MONTHS. THE MAN HAD NAMED THE GATOR AND WAS LEAVING RAW CHICKEN ON A STRING AT THE SAME TIME EVERY EVENING. NEIGHBORS SAID THE REPTILE HAD GROWN BOLD ENOUGH TO HAUL ITSELF PARTWAY ONTO THE DOCK AND WAIT.

WHEN DEPUTIES ARRIVED THE MAN WAS SITTING IN A LAWN CHAIR WITH A COOLER EXPLAINING THE FEEDING SCHEDULE AND INSISTING THE GATOR KNEW HIM. THE ALLIGATOR WAS STILL IN THE WATER A FEW FEET AWAY. OFFICERS ADVISED HIM TO STOP THE PRACTICE IMMEDIATELY AND DOCUMENTED THE SCENE. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE GATOR WAS EVENTUALLY HAZED BACK INTO THE CANAL BY WILDLIFE OFFICIALS.

LOCALS SAY THE MAN HAD BEEN WARNING VISITORS FOR WEEKS THAT THE GATOR CAME AROUND DINNER TIME. A FEW NEIGHBORS ADMITTED THEY HAD WATCHED THE ROUTINE FROM A DISTANCE BEFORE THE CALLS STARTED. COUNTY OFFICIALS NOTED THAT FEEDING ALLIGATORS IS ILLEGAL AND DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT CAUSES THE ANIMALS TO LOSE FEAR OF PEOPLE.

THE MAN WAS ISSUED A CITATION AND TOLD NOT TO RESUME THE HABIT. WILDLIFE OFFICERS PLANNED TO MONITOR THE AREA FOR SEVERAL DAYS TO MAKE SURE THE GATOR DID NOT RETURN LOOKING FOR AN EASY MEAL.

RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO KEEP WILDLIFE WILD. SECURE YOUR FOOD SCRAPS. AND THINK TWICE BEFORE NAMING THE GATOR THAT SHOWS UP AT YOUR DOCK.