[shelagh.rose]

Hi,

I am a northern girl who is deathly afraid of alligators.
So here I am....planning to move to the Villages and
wondering....what was I thinking!!

Please tell me the truth...has anyone been attacked,
man or beast, in the area?

Many thanks for all responses.

Shelagh

[cadilello]

Ive been here a year and only saw an alligator a couple of times in the pond by palmer golf course.

[Ohiogirl]

this is interesting - maybe there's something to the past lives' thing. Or maybe it's fear of the unknown. I personally am afraid of snakes, not really sure why. It's not like they're out prowling around either.

A year or two ago, right after I golfed Bogart or Bacall (can't remember which) and came back to Ohio, saw in the Daily Sun that a golfer had been attacked on the same course, trying to retrieve his golf ball from a pond. Probably tapped the gator with his club or something, for all I know. Wasn't killed, just injured.

Gators don't normally attack, and it's not like they're wandering around all over the place. I saw one in a pond on Heron/Pelican, and that's it for the Villages for me. Had to look hard.

I would say if you really have a fear, just don't wander close to pond/lake banks.

[784caroline]

There are gators here in the Villages so dont be surprised if you see one. Just yesterday we saw a fairly large gator cruising on Lake Miona. Any pond can become a gators home and we should all take encessary precautions....ie be very vigilent when retrieving a golf ball from any pond and you should be using a telescoping retriever rather than walking in the pond itself or simply using a club; If you live on or near a "pond" do not let your dog or cat run loose or even walk your dog near the edge of the pond; and of course if you see a gator DONOT feed it......they can outrun a human for a short distance especially if the gator is 4 foot or bigger.

With simple common sense precautions we can all enjoy florida's wildlife adn be safe at the same time.

[nONIE]

Thanks for the great tips Caroline, and if you have a small dog, think twice before you buy property with a pond. As appealing as waterfront property may seem, it can be a big worry if your dog gets out. (just a thought!)

[Barefoot]

I like geckos, and snakes don't bother me at all. But I also do NOT like gators. We wanted a home with a view lot, but no water, for that reason. (I have a small dog).

I've seen a few gators in the past two years, but they're not wandering around like lost pets or anything. There is one who sun tans every day that it is hot, over by Palmer. But it is a distance from the road. Carts are always stopping to take pictures.

It is very easy to avoid any areas where you might encounter them.

This might be of interest-- http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...ts.html?cat=16

[Sweetgirl]

Here's one just enjoying the sun, and the son enjoying the Alligator.

[senior citizen]

x

[rshoffer]

I promise.... you can scratch being attacked by an alligator off of your worry list.

Originally Posted by rshoffer

I promise.... you can scratch being attacked by an alligator off of your worry list.

http://www.wflxfox29.com/Global/story.asp?S=5096396

Personally, in TV I would worry more about getting hit by lightning than alligators.

[Irish Rover]

I think I would be more worried about golf carts and roundabouts. If there is a pond, puddle, or lake with fresh water in Florida - assume there is a gator in it. You will have too many other things to do, so gators will be the last thing you think about. Enjoy TV
Irish

[Donna]

Tal..Thanks for that very informative link...

[senior citizen]

x

[Dirigo]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

The funny thing is we went to Disney World for years............and it's such a controlled environment (we had gone from the first year it opened till the kids were in college).........and never thought of any insects, snakes, alligators, rodents, or anything............it was perfection. But it's all an illusion. They are out there!

Senior,

A good friend our ours is a Disney cast member. He tells us there is a team of employees who patrol for and control those undesirable critters. He was recruited in assisting in the removal of a rather large gator once and it is quite a story. He did a Crocodile Hunter maneuver holding the gator's mouth closed while the professional wrangler wrapped duct tape around the snout. It gives me the creeps, but then, he always did seem to be lacking the "fear" gene.

Dirigo