Recent wildlife-related deaths in Florida are a reminder that the human population shares the outdoors with some dangerous wildlife.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers and Polks County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of an alligator attack on Lake Kissimmee, near the mouth of Tiger Creek, on May 6.

According to the report, a husband and wife were in a 14-foot canoe around 4 p.m. when they passed over a large alligator that was submerged in water about 2.5 feet deep. The alligator thrashed, tipping the canoe, sending both individuals into the water.

The woman, identified as Cynthia Diekema, 61, of Davenport, apparently landed on top of the alligator, and was bitten.  Her body was later recovered by FWC officers.

Nuisance alligator trappers responded to the scene on the night of May 6, and captured an alligator measuring 11 feet, 4 inches, which matched the description of the alligator involved in the incident. They captured a second alligator, measuring between 10 and 11 feet on May 6.

FWC will conduct a full investigation into the incident.

An FWC spokesperson said they believe the gator acted in a defensive manner, reacting to being struck by the canoe.

Alligators are more active this time of year. Alligator mating season usually occurs in May and June.

“While alligator attacks that result in fatalities are extremely rare, this tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the powerful wildlife that share our natural spaces,” said FWC Executive Director Roger Young.

Since FWC started tracking alligator bites in 1948, there have been 487 unprovoked attacks from wild alligators. Of those, 27 were fatal.

Another wildlife attack occurred on May 5, when an 89-year-old man and a dog were killed by a black bear in Collier County, according to the FWC.

The mauling was reported around 7 a.m.  just south of the Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area on SR 29, between Naples and Everglades City.

According to the FWC report, FWC officers responded to a report of a bear killing a dog. They found the man’s body a few hundred yards away.