A child is in hospital after being attacked by an alligator estimated at nine to 12 feet long while swimming in a lake at the Weeki Wachee Preserve in Hernando County, Florida, on Monday. The incident has prompted local police to renew warnings about swimming in unauthorised waterways, highlighting the risks posed by wildlife in Florida's lakes and preserves.

The child suffered puncture wounds to the arm and leg but the injuries are non-life-threatening, and they are expected to recover after being taken to Bayonet Point Hospital. The victim and several other children had become stranded on a sandbar following the attack before being rescued by Hernando County Fire Rescue, while a licensed wildlife trapper has since set traps in an effort to capture the animal.