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Alligator hunter severely injured by alligator bite, wildlife official says

PALM BAY, Fla. — A man hunting alligators in a South Florida swamp Saturday was severely injured when he was bitten by an alligator, authorities said.

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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said the man was on a johnboat with two other people when he was bitten around 8:40 p.m. as he tried to land the reptile in the Three Fork Marsh Conservation, Florida Today reported.

The hunters released the alligator, called 911 and returned to shore.

Palm Bay police arrived, saw the man with a mangled limb and applied a tourniquet to prevent further blood loss, Florida Today reported. He was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Florida’s alligator hunting season started Aug. 15.