[Hopeful2]

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!

[shcisamax]

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.

[buggyone]

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.

[kittygilchrist]

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.

Originally Posted by nkrifats

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

[cquick]

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

[skip0358]

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

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by nkrifats

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

That gets my vote.

[raynan]

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

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

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.

[shcisamax]

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!

[gerryann]

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.

[shcisamax]

Originally Posted by gerryann

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.

[gerryann]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

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.

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