The state of Rio de Janeiro recorded an increase of almost 94% in cases involving alligators compared to last year. The numbers are from the Fire Department. There were 146 cases in 2024 and another 142 last year. This year, between the beginning of January and November 9th, there were 275 incidents.
The main location for firefighters' assistance is the neighborhoods of the Barra and Jacarepaguá lagoon system, in the Southwest Zone of Rio.
This month, an alligator appeared on Estrada do Outeiro Santo, in Taquara, and almost attacked a motorcyclist who was passing by. In Recreio dos Bandeirantes, another animal was surrounded by residents on Avenida Gilka Machado.
In Cidade de Deus, an alligator measuring 2 meters and weighing around 80 kilos needed to be rescued after getting tangled up in a football net. In Santa Cruz, a man was bitten while trying to capture a reptile.
Biologist Ricardo Freitas, coordinator and researcher at the Jacaré Institute, who monitors it, states that the high number of records is related to the advance of human occupation in the Southwest and West zones of Rio. Subdivisions, landfills, condominiums reduce the areas where animals live.
"These areas are being increasingly suppressed and reduced, and this happens at a very fast rate. As a result, the animals have nowhere to go. When the available space decreases, the alligators end up having to move to other locations", says Freitas.
Those who work daily in regions where animals live also notice the change. Gilber Alves, a collector of recyclable materials who works in Recreio, says that alligators have started to appear more frequently.
"This is their part. In the past, there weren't the number of houses that there are today in small neighborhoods. So I believe they are leaving because they feel suffocated."
Gilber also states that rain can contribute to the appearance of animals outside their usual locations.
"There are many there. That part of the Terreirão is where their flow is. This storm that occurred these days, the part of the river overflowed and some of them came out."
The expert highlights that, even with a greater number of recorded occurrences, the alligator population is declining. Although there is a significant number of animals, the decrease raises an alert.
"The fact that alligators are appearing frequently does not mean that they are well. Today, we have more than 80% of the population made up of males and only 20% of females, which demonstrates a reproductive imbalance. It is a species that is currently considered threatened with extinction in our state, due to its reproductive situation and the impacts it has been suffering in the urban environment, whether due to the advancement of urbanization or the neglect of the population."
The yellow-snouted caiman, the most common in the region, is a threatened species in the state of Rio de Janeiro, increasing concern.
The neighborhoods with the most case reports this year in the city of Rio de Janeiro are:
Recreio dos Bandeirantes: 89 occurrences (23 in 2024, 27 in 2025 and 39 in 2026)
Barra da Tijuca: 77 (21 in 2024, 23 in 2025 and 33 in 2026)
Jacarepaguá: 36 (10 in 2024, 13 in 2025 and 13 in 2026)
Santa Cruz: 23 (3 in 2024, 5 in 2025 and 15 in 2026)
Vargem Grande: 21
Dressing room: 20
Outside the capital, the municipalities with the most records in the period were Duque de Caxias (29), Cabo Frio (18), Armação dos Búzios (16) and Campos dos Goytacazes (14).
The Municipal Environment Secretariat reported that the yellow-snouted caiman is common in humid areas and can move to other points during periods of rain, including using urban structures.
According to the city hall, the situation is monitored, and only authorized and trained teams should capture the animals. In Rio, residents who find an alligator can call the Environmental Patrol by calling 1746.
