The Florida Everglades:

SURVIVING THE SWAMP!

The Florida Everglades is one of the USA’s largest and most beautiful national parks and a great place to go to escape from the city. But every year, around 60 visitors get into trouble in its 6,000 square kilometers of swamps! So, what are the dangers and what must you do to survive your trip there?

Mud bogs.

The Everglades are full of dangerous mud bogs. They can swallow a car or a person in a few minutes. If you fall into one, you shouldn’t panic! Moving a lot only pulls you in deeper! Pull each leg out slowly, then lei flat and craw out carefully.

Bugs and bites.

There are hundreds of mosquitoes, scorpions, and poisonous spiders and snakes in the Everglade swamps. Their bites and stings can be very dangerous and sometimes fatal. Always look where you walk, wear long trousers, strong boots and lots of insect repellent.

Flash floods.

It can rain a lot in the Everglades and flash floods are a real danger. A flash flood is a wall of water that can travel at 96 kmph. Is the ground shaking? Can you hear a strange noise like an aeroplane engine? Climb up a cliff or a tree. You have to get to the highest place you can and quickly!

Alligators

More than a million alligators live in the swamps and they hide without moving. So how can you see where they are? Well, bubbles on the water can be an alligator getting ready for lunch! These reptiles can run up to 48 kmph . They can't turn quickly, though, so if you see an alligator, you must run away as fast as you can.