The 21,000-acre Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is only accessible from its southern or northern ends and lacks any internal roadways. All of the horses in Paynes Prairie are descendants of those the Spanish transported to Florida. They graze in and around the trail’s flowers and grasses close to the observation deck at the end. A wild horse and a huge alligator engaged in a stunning battle in front of a group of female tourists, including a woman by the name of Krystal Berry, at the Florida wildlife reserve. We at AZA would like to provide a trigger warning because the video contains some disturbing material. The party observed a young horse and many wild horses feeding in the field next to the walkway. “The alligator walked beside them and paused,” Krystal Berry mentions. “The horse kicked the alligator, which made it waddle across the trail,” she continues. “Then, the horse started attacking again,” Berry states. Berry was trekking through Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, south of Gainesville, with three other nurses who go by the moniker “A-Team.” Berry’s video depicts a black horse breaking away from its herd and trampling the alligator after deciding that it was too near for comfort. It doesn’t take long for the gator to strike back, leaving the A-Team in absolute shock. Both creatures didn’t appear to have sustained serious injuries despite the spectacular but brief combat. The fight allegedly took place next to an alligator-filled ditch, off the La Chua Trail, per a local newspaper. Although wild horses and bison occasionally graze along this trail, a state biologist told the news outlet that she was unaware of any other instances similar to this one. Alligators are predators, and the horses are aware of this. We enjoy speculating about the thoughts of other creatures, therefore we would suppose that, for whatever reason, the horse most likely thought the alligator was in a dangerous situation. Someone on popular coverage of the dual commented “Horse: “See you later!! Alligator!!” Alligator: “Whoa hold your horses!!” We can’t help but laugh at the quick wit of some online viewers. The alligator ultimately crossed the trail and hid in the woods from the horses.
Do Horses Normally Attack Alligators?
Though horses are not considered predators, they can possess a natural aggression that they sometimes use to improve their place in a herd’s order. Hormones, genetics, stress, and fear can all act as stimuli that bring out a horse’s hostile side. This video demonstrates that any animal, even one as fearsome as an alligator, is at risk when near a horse that feels threatened.
Up Next…
Exciting animal action like this is caught on camera more often than you might think! Check out some more examples of fascinating video content below.
Watch a Huge Whale Majestically Swim With Two Paddle-Boarders – This gentle aquatic giant has, sadly, almost been hunted to extinction. See these paddle-boarders get a one-of-a-kind view in this amazing footage!Watch an Eagle and Jackal Hunt Together, and Still Miss Dinner – Watch this antelope defy the odds and learn more about the majestic bird of prey and the omnivorous pack hunters that tried to team up to take it down.Watch a Little Girl in Philadelphia Walk an ‘Emotional Support Alligator’ Through A Park – Now this alligator is having a much better day than the last one we saw. Click here to learn about him and the challenges of owning an alligator as a pet.
