A team works to capture an alligator they believe attacked a man, causing him to lose his arm. Credit: WBBM

(CNN) — A 23-year-old man had his arm amputated after being attacked by an alligator near a pond behind a bar in southwest Florida, state officials said.

"The team that went to the scene treated a man who suffered the amputation of the right upper extremity above the elbow. Bystanders tourniquet the patient before we arrived," Todd Dunn, spokesman for Charlotte County Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said in a statement.

An alligator hunter was later dispatched to the scene of the attack, near Banditos, a bar in Port Charlotte, Florida, according to authorities.

The alligator, which measured about 3 meters long, was removed from the pond and "humanely euthanized," according to a statement from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

• A Florida man heard a knock on his door. He was an alligator, and he bit his leg.

Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in the state, the wildlife agency said.

The agency said it "places the highest priority on public safety" and warned people to avoid conflicts with alligators by keeping a safe distance and swimming only in designated areas during daylight hours.

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Alligators should also not be fed.

"When fed, alligators can lose their natural caution and learn to associate people with food availability. This can lead to dangerous circumstances for oneself and others who may encounter the alligator in the future," the agency states.

In addition, he advises residents to keep their pets on a leash and away from the water's edge because the animals can look like prey to alligators.

Through its State Nuisance Alligator Program, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hires alligator hunters across the state to weed out those who may pose a threat. Residents can call a hotline to report their concerns about these animals.

"Typically, an alligator can be considered a nuisance if it measures at least 1.2 meters and is believed to pose a threat to people, pets, or property," the agency's website says.

The goal of the program is to "proactively address the threats posed by alligators in built-up areas, while conserving alligators in areas where they occur naturally," according to the website.

The community of Port Charlotte is about 45 km north of Fort Myers.

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