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Hair-raising moment alligator charges at man

He recognized it as a female alligator and believe she was probably just defending her young nearby.

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By Jessica Hehir-Smith via SWNS

This is the hair-raising moment an alligator charged and hissed at a man walking alone in Florida.

Jeffrey Skovran, 19, was fishing when he spotted a creature in the water coming straight toward him.

As he backed away from the shore, the alligator was caught on camera charging out of the water and began hissing at him.

Jeffrey, who is a spray technician from Sarasota, Florida, said he had encountered alligators before this so he knew to remain calm.

He recognized it as a female alligator and believe she was probably just defending her young nearby.

"Once she got towards me, I walked away and just let her be. I felt completely fine as I knew exactly what was happening and what I was doing," he said.

“I hope people understand that mama gators can get really defensive when protecting their nests, but not all alligators are aggressive towards people.

“I knew what to do and that meant I knew I was going to be ok.”

He said that this incident should signify the importance of knowing how to behave safely and appropriately in these situations - avoiding stress for the animal and any injuries.

This video was filmed in early August.

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