The 17-year-old was wading in a retention pond near University Mall when a three-foot alligator bit her hand, according to WFLA. She was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to be able to keep all of her fingers.
Investigators with Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office did not say why she was swimming there. A trapper was called to the scene, according to myfoxtampabay.com.
Warmer weather and the upcoming mating season increases alligator activity, according to WTSP.
Gators are found in every county throughout the state, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
An image of a "prehistoric" gator walking across a Florida golf course recently went viral.
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