This is the one thing that's most likely to make alligators attack

Fortunately, despite the news, alligator attacks are very rare - and we all want to keep it that way.

While some attacks may be unpredictable, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself safe, like watching alligators from a generous distance and only swimming in daylight, when they are less active.

But there's also one really important thing you can do that may affect whether someone else has a bad encounter with an alligator: Don't feed them. Ever.

Like crocodiles, bears, and other wild animals, dangerous or not, alligators naturally tend to avoid humans.

But that instinct can be overwhelmed if people feed them. If enough handouts come along, wild animals begin to associate humans with food.

That means when those acclimated animals run into a human, they stick around to see whether they can get a snack from them. Animals who have never been fed by humans are more likely to go the other direction, keeping humans and themselves safer.

That's why Florida has strict laws about not feeding alligators or crocodiles, punishable with a fine or even jail time. Paying attention to those laws will help keep everyone safer.