Be careful out there — Florida’s in the final weeks of alligator mating season!

Gator mating season takes place in May and June in Florida, and you have to be a little more careful. A woman in Davie (inside Miami’s metropolitan area) was killed by a twelve-foot gator last weekend.

The usual gator advice applies:

• Never feed alligators. Feeding them causes them to lose their natural wariness of humans and teaches them to associate humans with food.
• Don’t toss fish scraps (or any other food) into the water. Put them in garbage cans; otherwise, you’re just feeding the gators.
• Seek medical attention if you have been bitten. Sometimes you have to state the obvious.
• Watch and take pictures of gators from a safe distance. They’re quicker than they look.