Overview

• A groundbreaking study finds risky human behavior, not alligator aggression, is responsible for 96% of bite incidents.
• Researchers introduced a four-tier system to classify human actions preceding encounters, highlighting moderate- and high-risk behaviors like swimming in alligator habitats.
• Fatal bites are most often linked to deliberate entry into alligator-inhabited waters, emphasizing the need for situational awareness.
• The study coincides with the alligator mating season (April–June), a period of heightened movement and territorial behavior in the Southeastern U.S.
• Experts recommend targeted communication strategies to reduce bites and prevent unnecessary euthanization of alligators after attacks.