Oviedo Officials Warn Visitors After Alligator Spotted Near Shane Kelly Park Dog Area

A man once jumped on top of a 12-foot alligator at Riverside Park in Oviedo to free his dog from the reptile's jaws, after the animal surged from the Little Econ River and snatched the pet mid-walk. Wildlife officials were called and the gator was eventually trapped. That attack is the local precedent giving weight to the warning Oviedo city officials issued this week after an alligator turned up sunning along the shore of a pond inside Shane Kelly Park on County Road 426, where the Bark Park sits within the same grounds.

The timing aligns with the onset of Florida's alligator courtship season. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, courtship begins in early April, mating follows in May and June, and females lay between 32 and 46 eggs in mound nests by late June or early July. Hatchlings emerge 63 to 68 days after that, typically between mid-August and early September. Throughout that window, gators travel farther from their home waters, surface more frequently, and behave more aggressively as males compete for mates.

The pond where the alligator was spotted is inside the same park that draws hundreds of dog owners weekly to the Bark Park's fenced off-leash areas, which separate large and small dogs and feature agility equipment, canine water fountains, and a dog tiki hut. City officials advised keeping children and pets away from the water's edge and flagged dawn and dusk as the most dangerous windows of the day.

Feeding alligators is both dangerous and illegal under Florida law. The behavior conditions gators to associate humans with food, a shift that significantly raises the risk of any subsequent encounter. Dogs are a particular concern near open water during mating season. Statewide, the FWC recorded 13 unprovoked alligator bites in 2025, two of them fatal.

If a gator appears while you are at the park, move immediately away from the water and bring your dog with you. Do not approach, corner, or attempt to shoo the animal. Back away calmly and leave the immediate shoreline area. Keep dogs on a leash any time the route takes them near the water.

To report a nuisance alligator, call the FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). Under FWC criteria, an alligator qualifies as a nuisance if it is at least four feet long and poses a threat to people, pets, or property. As of Saturday, Oviedo had not announced closures of the Bark Park or plans for additional pond signage, but the city's alert made clear that elevated gator activity is expected to persist well into summer.