Florida alligator attack leaves woman with 'significant bite injuries,' officials say
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A woman in Florida had to be airlifted to the hospital after being bitten during an alligator attack on Saturday, according to officials.
Brevard County Fire Rescue said on Twitter the incident happened in the area west of Fay Lake Wilderness Park in Port Saint John, located between Titusville and Cocoa.
Fire officials said the woman suffered "significant bite injuries," and had to be flown to an area trauma center.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}GEORGIA FAMILY FINDS MASSIVE ALLIGATOR ‘SUNNING HIMSELF’ IN FRONT YARD
A woman had to be airlifted after sustaining "significant bite injuries" in an alligator attack in Florida on Saturday, according to officials. (Brevard County Fire Rescue)
Photos posted to Twitter show officials loading the woman into a helicopter.
Witnesses told FOX35 the woman was wounded on her side and thigh. Officials told the television station that her injuries were not considered life-threatening.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ALLIGATOR BITES BIGGER, BELLOWING GATOR IN FLORIDA, VIDEO SHOWS: ‘IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE’
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), alligators begin courting in early April and mate in May or June.
Aside from roaming farther from their lagoons, warmer temperatures also rev up alligators’ metabolism, making them more active and aggressive as they hunt for prey and mate.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
The FWC recommends not swimming during dusk or dawn — an alligator’s most active hours — keeping animals on a leash and away from water and keeping a safe distance if they come into contact with the large creature.
FWC officials told FOX35 that the gator in Saturday's incident will now have to be removed and euthanized.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Ann W. Schmidt and Allie Raffa contributed to this report.