Alligator
 

An alligator has taken up sun bathing on my back lawn ... (I back up to a pond in Collier). I realize that it was probably a Florida resident long before I arrived... but it has me quite concerned, especially because I have a small dog. (Our dog is always on a leash.)
Does The Villages have any provisions for moving/trapping/relocating alligators?

Thanks!

Yes they do. If the gator is a certain length, I think they come and remove them. How big is this sunbather? I imagine you can call Community Watch and get directions on how to handle this.

If the alligator is over 4 feet long, they will send in an alligator trapper who will snag it with a huge treble hook, drag it ashore, and kill it. Very cruel.

Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program
http://myfwc.com/media/1531908/allig...es_booklet.pdf
I'd get it removed. If it is harvested, the harvester will slaughter it and sell the meat. I just bought some locally for a Cajun zydeco potluck.
There is an alligator industry, thankfully. Harvesting was illegal for many years due to low population. They are BACK!!!
Harvesting is regulated carefully and statistically to regulate the population.

How far up in the yard is the Alligator? Is it really bothering anyone? Keep the dog away until the Alligator moves on.

:BigApplause::agree:

my friends were golfing near Mt. Dora a couple weeks ago, and this is the gator they saw on a pond on the course!

If you buy on a pond you have to expect, ducks, birds, geese, fish, people fishing if it's a fishing pond, model boaters and oh yea GATORS. I'd say keep the dog inside or on it's leash, why have a gator killed? JMO

That gets my vote.

This is nature and you chose to live on a pond. Enjoy your view and walk the dog out front.

Alligators have a brain about the size of a walnut. They are far from being sentient beings. I'm always confused when people are concerned about killing these nuisance creature but have no problem with people fishing, or killing insects or rodents. If you had a rat in your house would you have it humanely trapped and relocated. Alligators are less aware than rats.

Call the removal service and have them get it out of there. Unless of course you are also against swatting love bugs.

I don't know if gators are sentient or if the size of their brain is that of a walnut but rats are pretty smart:


Scientists have performed studies with sounds and food and discovered they understand much more than we used to think.

Rats understand causal relationships, something scientists thought only humans and some higher primates could understand. This puts rats way up there on the list of the smartest animals!

What difference does it make what size the brain is......it doesn't need to be killed. Trees don't have brains either, but you can't kill those either.

If you are on a pond....expect to have a LOT of animals that you may not want around. Your dog needs to always be on a leash around the pond. There can be a gator under the water just waiting for the dog to come near......and they run very fast.

This is so true.
When we bought, we had a little dog that couldn't run fast and a big one that would most likely run over to a gator to say, "Hey, wanna play?" That is exactly why we didn't want "the water" view.

Boogie.....I know you say the rat thing in jest......but yes, I have trapped mice in a live trap to locate back out side. I have done this anytime a field mouse found its way into my home. One time I started thinking that the same mouse kept finding his way back in....so I put some nail polish on his tail before releasing it to see if it was the same guy......it wasn't :o

Yep, I use to release field mice as well so I guess that tells you where I stand on the murder of a gator sunning himself.

That's funny!!!!!!!:a20:

I knew a woman who stored bird feed, etc in her garage and discovered a cut little mouse that was very playful. so she let it be and be it did over and over and over until she was over run with the plural of mouse and had to call in an expert to deal with her playful problem mouse and his/her offspring that sprung out of control.

Alligators are not welcome guests on my lawn. so the very second I saw such a critter I's be on the phone telling Turtle Man to do his magic

I hope you don't live on a pond :mad:

Absolutely agree with those who say let the alligator live!

Thank you for all the suggestions. I've contacted Community Watch.

Hi gerryann: I am up about two houses from a pond. My neighbors who live around the pond get visit by many undesirable critters. One of my neighbors who loves animals had an alligator in her back yard that she let be until the alligator attempted to break through her lanai screen to get at her little dog after the second attempt she called the Turtle Man

Sadly but you probably signed the alligators death warrant... unless it is very small.

I'm right there with you.

I applaud your neighbor for trying. At least she gave it a shot at letting nature take its course.

Hi CFrances: If nature had taken its course the alligator would have devoured that dog and every dog around that pond. My neighbor loves animals feeds the ducks ,etc Me I love people so we feed them. Fortunately Mrs. Rubicon is an excellent cook and very comfortable in the kitchen. She looks so sexy in her apron :D


Personal Best Regards

Ohhhhkayyyyy...

Ignore it- I would leave it be.

Really? She waited for a second attempt? That's kind of like having a hornet's nest under your eaves and waiting until you get bitten to spray it.

Really? We can't kill trees? Take a ride around the Villages and you'll see an awful lot of houses and other things that are made from dead trees.

In fact we have a dead tree material working shop.

We also can buy dead animal products that we use for food, clothing and other things. So it appears to me that not only can we kill trees, but it's also acceptable kill animals for certain reasons.

The problem is that we have begun to equate animal lives with human lives. Now we're going to equate trees with animals?

Whatever.......:rolleyes:

Keep the dog away off sight the gator. Gators usually do not stay a long time at the same place for sunbathing. Tell your neighbor that you have a "guest" because most likely the gator moves on to new places. If it is a large gator -more than 4 feet long- you should report it.