[pauld315]

Originally Posted by EPutnam1863

Anyone remember that 'gator nabbing and drowning a two-yr old toddler somewhere in Disney World?

I do. I also remember the signs warning people to not enter the water. That is one thing you should never do in Florida in any body of inland water. They aren't for swimming in.

[pauld315]

Originally Posted by EPutnam1863

Or a dog.

It was already stated it was a turtle by someone who had been watching it all day.

[EPutnam1863]

Originally Posted by pauld315

I do. I also remember the signs warning people to not enter the water. That is one thing you should never do in Florida in any body of inland water. They aren't for swimming in.

Not only people should not be swimming in them; the same goes for dogs wanting to cool themselves.

[joldnol]

Originally Posted by pauld315

I do. I also remember the signs warning people to not enter the water. That is one thing you should never do in Florida in any body of inland water. They aren't for swimming in.

Tourists and firemen had been feeding them too. NEVER feed a gator

[joldnol]

Originally Posted by DonH57

Anybody remember the gator removed and terminated because he ate the duck? I believe it was in the pond behind Hacienda? Animal control was called in since it ate other wildlife displaying loss of fear of humans? Anyway I suspect the duck had it coming!

They euthanized it because an idiot from the rc boat club jumped in to save the duck. He then claimed it was aggressive to him. What a moroon as Bugs would say.

[kcrazorbackfan]

Originally Posted by blueash

Actually the odds of being bitten by a poisonous snake is zero, absolutely zero.

Really think so, sport? By the grace of God, a large diamondback just caught my pants leg and not my leg many years ago. There are 7 - 8,000 snakebites in the US every year; in actuality, the chances of someone dying from a snakebite is virtually zero.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by kcrazorbackfan

Again, people, the gators were here long before we were. They're not dangerous unless people go stupid and start messing around with them. Leave the gators alone and don't go whining to FWC every time you see a gator and think it is dangerous.

[DonH57]

Originally Posted by joldnol

They euthanized it because an idiot from the rc boat club jumped in to save the duck. He then claimed it was aggressive to him. What a moroon as Bugs would say.

I would be aggressive to if I thought something else was taking my dinner from me. I'm sorry but what an imbecile.

[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by pauld315

I do. I also remember the signs warning people to not enter the water. That is one thing you should never do in Florida in any body of inland water. They aren't for swimming in.

You overgeneralize. I have been swimming and water skiing in lakes throughout central Florida since my teenage years.

However, I will concede that in those early years the alligator was virtually a threatened species. But, it has made a roaring (no pun intended) comeback and we now have alligator overpopulation.

In my opinion it is foolhardy to think that a metropolitan population of 100,000 humans should accommodate themselves to the presence of very large alligators moving about in their midst.

This is no time to be squeamish about removing local alligators, particularly in view of the well know fact that many foolish people feed them because they like being able to brag about seeing them.

Proper wildlife management is not to simply let wildlife run unfettered among us. We should observe the guidelines of the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

[pauld315]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

You overgeneralize. I have been swimming and water skiing in lakes throughout central Florida since my teenage years.

However, I will concede that in those early years the alligator was virtually a threatened species. But, it has made a roaring (no pun intended) comeback and we now have alligator overpopulation.

In my opinion it is foolhardy to think that a metropolitan population of 100,000 humans should accommodate themselves to the presence of very large alligators moving about in their midst.

This is no time to be squeamish about removing local alligators, particularly in view of the well know fact that many foolish people feed them because they like being able to brag about seeing them.

Proper wildlife management is not to simply let wildlife run unfettered among us. We should observe the guidelines of the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

You are right, I remember when they were a protected species and you really didn't see them very much. I remember going into the water back then and the first time I really remember them becoming an issue was in the early 70's. I worked for a company down in Boca Raton that built a rec center and built a man made lake for their employees and families to swim in. That never happened because once it was built, it became populated with gators. It became a fishing only lake. Now, there must not be much of a demand for alligator boots and purses because there are too many.