Despite what you've seen in Hollywood films, alligator attacks on humans aren't particularly frequent. Nevertheless, attacks do occur, and knowing what to do in the middle of one can mean life or death.
Generally speaking, most alligators leave you alone as long as you leave them alone, but some females can become vicious when you impede on her nest's territory.
So what should you do if confronted? First and foremost, run away. Alligators can be fast runners, but they can't sustain their speed for long. You can increase your odds of getting away by running in a zig-zag motion because alligators can only run in a straight line.
Assuming the alligator has you in a hold with their mouth, experts recommend that you fight back by punching or kicking its sensitive snout. Alternatively, you can attempt to gouge its eyes.
But whatever you do, don't 'play dead'as you might do in a bear confrontation. If you do, then you give the alligator a means of inflicting more damage than it would if you had gotten away.
