A photographer on the La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie in Gainesville, Florida recently decided to leave the trail to get up close and personal with an alligator defending its newborns. At first, he had his tripod set up and the camera gear in a bag to mount it. When the alligator took notice and moved toward him, he waited until the last possible second to back up and avoid its hissing jaws:
This video demonstrates exactly what you shouldn’t do in this situation!
Photography is often defined by that special moment that comes too soon and leaves before you can snap it. In this case, the photographer pushed his luck and risked a foot or leg to capture it. Is the shot of an alligator diving to attack you really that important?
Please be safe, photographers! Stick to the path and use a quality zoom lens to capture moments like this. That way, you can leave the mom to be with her newborns and disturb nature as little as possible. It’s in the best interest of everyone involved, not to mention your well-being!
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Florida Gators are very protective of their territory on the football “swamp” as well as the wetlands.
HOW STUPID is this fellow??????? VERY STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nothing but a total moron….. idiots like these are the ones that give all other Wildlife Photographers a bad reputation.
How stupid are people??????