Two would-be influencers are under investigation after a video of them petting alligators in Florida went viral, just days after a swimmer died in an alligator attack.
“Join us to pet alligators,” TikTok user Kileigh Rose captioned the video, which she and a friend believed would be part of an adventurous “Steve Irwin summer.”
In a clip filmed at Silver Springs State Park, the young women are seen in a small, transparent canoe. One reaches into the water to stroke an alligator’s back, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. The video, which was removed after gaining 2.1 million views, sparked widespread criticism.
“Did you get that? I just pet the s–t out of him,” the kayaker exclaimed, grinning.
Another video, viewed 21 million times, showed an alligator thrashing near their canoe.
“F–k!” shouted the TikTok user’s friend as the alligator splashed dangerously close, while Kileigh screamed in fear from a paddleboard.
The Florida Wildlife Commission is investigating the incident, with potential penalties including a $500 fine or up to 60 days in jail for what is considered harassment of alligators.
The video went viral just days after several alligator attacks, including the brutal mauling of hiker Brittany Clark in Florida.
On June 28, Clark, 31, was attacked while swimming in the Econlockhatchee River at Little Big Econ State Forest, about 90 miles from where the TikTokers recorded their footage.
Brodie Terry, an 11-year-old from Pennsylvania, lost his hand in an attack while fishing with his family on June 27. On July 3, fisherman James Grayson McMicken, 71, was attacked by a gator near his North Fort Myers home. He survived by gouging the alligator’s eye and hitting it with his rod.
Most of the TikTok user’s followers showed little sympathy for their actions.
“Consequences need to occur. This is pure harassment of the gator; it’s swimming away, even hissing as a warning, but she keeps following it,” one viewer commented online.
“Not the brightest bulb in the pack,” another remarked.
