Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - Brad the alligator
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Old 01-16-2021, 10:25 AM
EviesGP EviesGP is offline
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Over time, I've learned that there are some myths about alligators. First and foremost, their speed, agility, and aggressiveness. Gators are much more comfortable(and aggressive) in water, which is their natural habitat. On land, they're not very comfortable, as they can only run short distances before tiring. Their main weapon, is to grab their prey(primarily small animals), drag them under water, and drown them. They can't chew, so they let the item rot, then ingest it. I would think cats are too agile and fast, but small dogs, more likely. I've spoken to a few divers(fetching golf balls in retention ponds), and they've all been bitten about a dozen times. No big deal. They just carry a stick and poke them around the eyes. They don't like it, and scurry off. They're very aware of the size of humans, and will not go after larger objects, lest other circumstances(mating season, protecting young, or VERY hungry). And even then, the results are very rarely fatal.

As for Larry, I'm pretty sure he/they get removed when they become too comfortable with human interaction, not merely because they're named, identified, or even watched. It's when they start getting fed, and then learn to cozy up to humans. That's when something bad happens. Alligators will generally run into the water when approached by humans. When they don't, you can pretty much bet they'll get removed.

Just my opinion.