NAPLES, Fla. — A man was flown to a nearby hospital Thursday morning after a nearly 7-foot alligator bit his leg while he was out for a walk in a Naples community.
The Collier County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook that the man had been out walking a little after 5 a.m. in the Forest Glen and Golf Course community when the alligator "came up and bit him in the leg."
The 6-foot, 9-inch female alligator was safely trapped and removed from the community, although not before trying to make a run for it to a nearby lake, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies said the injured man was flown by a medical helicopter to a hospital for treatment. His current condition is unknown.
The sheriff's office said it is currently alligator mating season and for residents to be cautious around bodies of water and vegetation where an alligator could have a nest.
It was not known if this female gator had a nest near where the attack occurred, deputies said.
"Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn, so plan accordingly to reduce the chances of running into them," CCSO said.