While the North has grizzlies, the Southeast has its own nightmare in the form of alligators. These animals are strong and fast and have a very strong bite. How strong? Well, the bite of an alligator is 2000 pounds per square inch. It can also grow to 500 pounds as well. Combine that with very sharp teeth, and well, you get the picture.
Growing up in Alabama, I've seen plenty of gators — from a distance. They were always a fear whenever I went swimming in creeks or rivers. You can see them far off, eyeing you menacingly. Okay, that may have been more my paranoia than anything. However, you can at least take refuge in the fact that alligators can't climb, right? Right?! All you have to do is climb a fence and — alligators can climb fences?!
Just check out this video below and imagine this beast chasing you. Talk about nightmare fuel, right?
alligators climbing fences ? oh nah I'm never going to Florida. pic.twitter.com/KIw0DJAE0n
— Nature is Amazing ?? (@AMAZlNGNATURE) May 24, 2024
Alligator Tears Down Fence
Of course, not all alligators climb fences. Some just go straight through them as one person pointed out, "The bigger ones don't even have to climb up, they just force their way through the metal fence...." Okay, so that's worse, much, much worse.
Giant Alligator bends metal fence while forcing its way through pic.twitter.com/gnHMyyu0xl
— Nature is Amazing ?? (@AMAZlNGNATURE) May 24, 2024
However, you shouldn't panic if you think an alligator is chasing. As long as you don't behave like a horror movie damsel then you should just be fine. According to the University of Florida, you should run away from the gator in a straight line. Avoid any zig-zags or other any other flourishes. Unless you're the slowest person in the world, you should be able to outrun a gator on foot. While they are indeed powerful creatures, there's a tradeoff for all of that power. That's speed.
Alligators lack the endurance needed to catch you as long as you play smart. Humans became master of the natural world thanks to their long endurance after all. Likewise, it's very possible that alligators don't want you anyways. They quickly lose interest in prey and find new things to hunt down. From the point of view of a gator, something fast just isn't worth the hassle. We're talking about on land obviously. In the water, alligators are much more scary and could be a formidable foe.
