2 alligators captured in one week after incidents at Alexander Springs

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - Two alligators have been captured in under a week following several incidents at Alexander Springs in Ocala National Forest, prompting another closure of the popular swimming spot.

On Monday, a 7.5-foot alligator was responsible for biting a man who was snorkeling in a designated swimming area. 

"The way it ended up playing out, for safety's sake, I ended up having to go ahead and dispatch this alligator, unfortunately," trapper Joseph Vela said.

The U.S. Forest Service confirms the man received bite marks and cuts but did not require an ambulance. He ended up getting care for his wounds on his own after receiving aid from Adventure Ocala staff onsite. 

"It's very unfortunate because a situation like that is not a predatory response. It's a violation-of-her-space response," Vela said. 

Just days prior, Vela captured and removed a smaller alligator in that same area. The gator, he says, went after someone’s pool noodle that had drifted near her nest.

The swimming area was closed for three days before reopening July 14.

"In that situation, all that alligator was doing, she was just getting in there to protect her baby," Vela said.

With Central Florida's springs growing in popularity, Vela warns those who like visiting them to keep their distance from the alligators and to leave them alone. 

"When you go to a spring that has vegetation along the edge, recognize that the state's doing their effort to coexist with them at the same time, so you're going to have to do your effort as a patron of that spring," he said. "If you respect the animals, they're going to respect you, and we're going to avoid a lot of these cases."

A spokesperson with the U.S. Forest Service tells FOX 35 that the designated swimming area should reopen later this week.