ORLANDO, Fla. – Move over, Florida Man. You had a wild year in 2023, but so did the sharks, bears, snakes, alligators, crocodiles, and other wildlife that call the Sunshine State home.
From a Black bear stealing a family’s $45 Taco Bell delivery from their front porch to an alligator pouncing down on an invasive Burmese python – here are some of the wildest animal encounters captured here in Florida that captured the internet and made news headlines nationwide.
Alligator vs. python fight
A Florida woman captured an incredible video of an alligator enjoying a large python for an afternoon snack, garnering the attention of multiple people on social media.
Katina Boychew, who goes by @katina86 on Instagram, said she was visiting the Florida Everglades when she spotted the alligator in the marsh chowing down on the snake. At one point in the video, the gator could be seen triumphantly, body-slamming his meal.
Bear steals family’s White Claws
A three-legged black bear, affectionately known by Florida locals as “Tripod,” managed to break into a Lake Mary home through a screened-in lanai in the backyard. The bear then hilariously accessed her outdoor refrigerator and helped itself to three of her White Claw hard seltzer beverages.
It’s not the bear’s first encounter. He’s actually one of three three-legged bears being tracked in Central Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife COnservation Commission.
Weeks after the alcohol encounter, “Tripod” found himself sniffing around another home’s backyard.
Chickens freezing in place goes viral
A routine feeding time for a Tampa woman’s flock of chickens took an unexpected turn when the birds abruptly froze in place. “What the… why are they all not moving?!,” Brianna Antionette could be heard saying in the video. “I cannot make this up.”
The video quickly went viral on TikTok, garnering more than 15.3 million views and over 46,000 comments.
Bear takes off with reindeer decoration
A wandering bear hilariously found himself an unlikely companion during the holiday season. The bear was caught on camera dragging a reindeer decoration he stole from a Longwood home.
Alligator vs. MMA fighter
A wild video out of Jacksonville showed Mike Dragich, a Florida veteran, MMA fighter and licensed gator trapper grabbing a large, 10-foot alligator by the tail who stood his ground in a parking lot near an elementary school.
Sharks attack 2 people at same beach within 24 hours
Beaches in Volusia County are famously known as the “Shark Bite Capital of the World” and a look back at last year’s headlines shows just how true that title is.
Back in September, two people were both bitten at the same Volusia County beach within 24 hours, officials said. Both are expected to recover.
Jawlene, the jawless alligator, finds new home in Florida
An alligator became a viral sensation after it was spotted with half of its jaw missing in Sanford.
The gator, now affectionately known as Jawlene, was taken in by Gatorland officials who have helped the reptile make a speedy recovery.
If you want to see the now famous gator in person, all you have to do is make a trip to Gatorland where it recently became available for public viewing.
Bear steals Taco Bell order
Definitely nacho average bear. The hungry and curious black bear found himself an unexpected meal – $45 worth of Taco Bell delivered via Uber Eats to a home in Longwood – and did what any bear would seemingly do, took it for himself.
Bear goes swimming at beach
Beachgoers got quite the surprise when they spotted a black bear swimming at a crowded Florida beach.
Several witnesses saw the curious young bear taking a dip in Destin’s beautiful blue Gulf of Mexico waters and captured the rare sighting on video, which quickly circulated on social media.
Why did the gator cross the road?
Sometimes, alligators and Sandhill cranes can be cordial.
A video posted to social media appeared to show two Sandhill cranes helping a young alligator cross a Florida road. Shannon Duke, who took a video of the incredible sighting, said it happened in Pine Island in Hernando County.
More wild animal encounters in Florida
Make sure to visit the wild nature section of FOX35Orlando.com to see the latest animal encounters in Florida.
Capture a great animal moment? We’d like to see it. Email [email protected] to share it with us. We may use it on air or post it to FOX35Orlando.com.
