PORT ST. JOHN, Fla. – A Florida woman was airlifted to a hospital after an alligator attack this weekend.
A spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the woman, 26-year-old Nichole Tillman, of Melbourne, was attacked by the alligator while swimming in a pond around 3 p.m. Saturday in a undeveloped part of western Brevard County.
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Tillman had significant bite wounds on her leg and flank, but her injuries were described as not life-threatening, the spokesperson said. After the attack, a trapper removed the nearly 9-foot-long alligator from the pond.
FWC stressed in a news release that alligator attacks in Florida are rare. FWC said cold-blooded alligators become more active in the spring and summer months as the temperature rises.
The department urged anyone with concerns about alligators in their community to call its Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR.