Video of alligator swimming near flooded street after Hurricane Helene

• Hurricane Helene displaced alligators, turtles and other wildlife in Florida.
• Large storms often displace wildlife from their habitats due to flooding.
• Residents who see an alligator should give it space and call authorities if it poses a threat.

Alligators, turtles and even sharks in Florida are in new territory in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

On Sept. 27, a Collier County Sheriff’s Office drone captured footage of an alligator floating near San Marco Road in Southwest Florida, according to ABC affiliate WZVN.

Large storms are known to drive wildlife away from their typical habitats, especially when there is flooding.

“Alligators can be seen more commonly in flooded areas near swamps, marshes, rivers and lakes after a hurricane or tropical storm,” Lauren Claerbout of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told Business Insider via email.

If you see an alligator, do not approach it. “The best way people can stay safe and help wildlife in storm conditions is to be vigilant and give them their space,” Claerbout said.

Displaced alligators are not necessarily a threat

During past hurricanes, alligators have appeared in backyards and golf courses.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for Floridians to run into alligators even in nicer weather. But murky flood waters can make them more difficult to detect.

While people should be cautious, Claerbout said the FWC has not received any reports of alligator bites since Helene made landfall.

“Serious injuries from alligators are rare in Florida,” she said. Furthermore, research from the University of Florida suggests that hurricanes do not increase alligator attacks.

Ironically, alligators are most at risk. In rural Florida, such as Taylor and Levy counties, if an alligator shows up in someone’s backyard, “it’s probably going to be invited to dinner and it’s going to be the main course,” said Lt. Scott Tummond, Levy County Sheriff, for BI.

Where alligators go before storms and what happens to those displaced

When a storm approaches, alligators can sense pressure changes. “If a hurricane is headed their way, they’re probably getting ready to bow,” Justin R. Dalaba and Frank J. Mazzotti of the University of Florida wrote in 2019.

However, ahead of Hurricane Helene, a Florida gator roamed the Lakeland neighborhoods northeast of Tampa and “became bold enough” to come to the door of a home, The Miami Herald reported.

A trapper removed that gator, but experts don’t always pick up every reptile someone sees. He usually only removes it if someone calls him and is considered a nuisance.

“Generally, an alligator can be considered a nuisance if it is at least 4 feet long and is believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property,” Calerbout said.

When a trapper removes an alligator, they may process the animal for its skin and meat, although some are sold alive to alligator farms or zoos. Florida’s State Nuisance Alligator Program evaluates whether it is safe to relocate alligators that are smaller than 4 feet.

Alligators weren’t the only ones caught in Hurricane Helene’s flooding

Displaced alligators are more common than another animal a Florida resident saw in a Lakes Park pond over the weekend: a young bull shark. Bull sharks are unusual in that they can survive in both fresh and salt water.

Although it is not certain that the storm was responsible, Lakes Park flooded when Helene passed by. If the shark was swimming in a nearby creek, it could have accidentally found itself in the lake during the flood, Susannah Cogburn, a graduate student who studies sharks at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Water School, told NBC2.

The shark should be safe as long as it has enough to eat, “which, being the only shark in the lake, seems like it should have a fair amount of food to feed on,” Cogburn said.

FWC also rescued a manatee that became stranded near the runway at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa on September 28.

Florida residents concerned about an animal in distress can call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.