A foolish tourist couple was seen lying down just six feet from a wild alligator in an effort to capture the ideal Instagram photo.
At Florida’s Everglades National Park, the two, thought to be a father and son, made the decision to lie flat on their backs while facing away from an alligator that was crawling directly towards them.
As the deadly reptile drew near, the dad, who was sporting a Confederate flag bandana, snapped a selfie, and another group member excitedly recorded the event on her phone.
The Instagram account TouronsOfYellowstone, which frequently updates on ridiculous behaviour at US National Parks and other scenic locations, brought attention to the potentially very dangerous incident.
Numerous images posted on Instagram document tourists coming perilously close to animals like elk and bison as well as the litter and other waste carelessly left behind by tourists.
Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming was its initial focus, but it has since expanded to include images from all over the US, including the Everglades.
One person commented on the photo saying: “I worked as a Ranger and Research Biologist studying alligators in the Everglades. I can’t believe these folks. They obviously have no idea how fast an alligator can move!”
Spotting an alligator is a crucial component of any trip to the Everglades because they are a crucial species in the ecosystem.
Although they rarely attack people, they are still very dangerous animals and have been known to bite people who are careless enough to try to feed them.
It is best to flee if an alligator does appear to be preparing to strike. The reptiles can move quite quickly on land, up to 20 mph, but they are unable to sustain their top speed for very long.
In the water, they move a little more slowly but are still much faster than a human swimmer.
According to experts, the best chance of surviving an alligator bite is to prepare for when its jaws will relax in order to get a tighter grip.
When that occurs, you should take off running as quickly as you can.
