Florida authorities are investigating two social media influencers after they filmed themselves petting an alligator, an act that is illegal in the state and occurred days after a woman was killed in a separate alligator attack. The video was posted to TikTok in early July by user Kileigh Rose Coleman, who goes by the handle kileigh.rose. It has since been taken down amid widespread criticism.
The footage showed Coleman's friend paddling in a canoe near Silver Springs State Park and reaching out to touch an alligator as it swam past. "Come with us to pet alligators," Coleman reportedly captioned the video. Viewers reported the video to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which has launched an investigation.
Interacting with, feeding, or harassing alligators in Florida is prohibited and can result in fines of up to $500 and jail time of up to 60 days. The FWC warns that such interactions can diminish the animals' natural fear of humans, potentially making them more aggressive and dangerous.
This incident followed the death of 31-year-old Brittany Clark, who was fatally mauled by an alligator in late June while swimming in Little Big Econ State Forest, approximately 90 miles from where the viral video was filmed. In addition to Clark's death, Florida has seen other recent alligator encounters, including an incident in mid-June where a 19-year-old snorkeler sustained severe injuries to his head and a July 3 attack where a 71-year-old man defended himself from a gator while fishing.
While Coleman's initial video was removed, a second video on her TikTok page, seemingly filmed the same day, shows further interactions with alligators and has garnered over 21 million views. This video also captures an alligator approaching the canoe and thrashing below the surface, eliciting exclamations from the influencers.
Coleman and her friend face potential legal consequences, including fines and jail time, for their actions. The FWC's investigation aims to address the violation of state laws and the potential risks posed by normalizing human-alligator interactions.
