[nhtexasrn]

Originally Posted by Byte1

So were our indigenous natives. We are at the top of the food chain, therefore if we find them(gators) dangerous and of no practical use other than something to look at and say "Oh look!" then they can be removed. Oh my, someone cleared a forest in order to build homes for PEOPLE. What a shame. They were here first. Folks need to wake up (not WOKE) and realize that if we want to exist, we have to step on ants, kill plants and animals in order to eat, etc. If gators present a danger then they need to be removed, whether someone wishes to move them to another, safer environment or just destroy them. This is a residential community, not a wildlife sanctuary.

Alligators are an essential part of the ecosystem in Florida. Actually, they never present a danger to anyone! It's ignorant people who put themselves, their children and pets in harms way. It is quite easy to co-exist with wildlife here and anywhere else. Sadly, they get the short end of the stick.

[GPGuar]

Nope!

[Lchughart@gmail.com]

Truth be known, we enjoy watching the alligator in the small leak behind our house, having said that when I’m fishing I’ll keep an eye on the alligator although it doesn’t stress me out much.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

Spanish Lakes Fairways has removed four alligators from the retention pond where a woman was killed by an alligator earlier this week.

I called The Villages when I first got here and reported an alligator that was in a nearby retention pond. They said that they won't do anything unless it attacks either a person or an animal. So apparently, they get one attack or kill before anyone does anything about them.

Predators are cleared from lake near retirement community after woman savaged to death by reptile | Daily Mail Online

AND the gators got that big because stupid PEOPLE feed them!

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

*Maybe* it was necessary to remove the one alligator who *might* now see humans as food but it certainly wasn't necessary to remove them all. (Note that they removed alligators from the entire community; there were not four alligators in one pond). The needless removal, and likely destruction, of a native animal behaving naturally is sad. I really hate the idea but maybe it is necessary to put fences around all the ponds to keep the foolish people away.

We enjoy looking for alligators in the ponds here.

Things to learn:
- There are alligators in the fresh water in Florida
- Walking your small dog at the edge of the water is dangerous
- Standing and watching an alligator swim across the pond towards you and your dog is a really bad idea

They are hardly endangered - they will probably be on earth longer than humans. No need for large alligators (for me, over 4ft) to be allowed in TV Land ponds. Just a HUMAN DEATH waiting to happen. And the people that feed gators should have to write that lady's relatives a letter of apology.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Battlebasset

I have a retention pond behind my house. It was the feature that sold me on my place - open space behind us and water. There is a three foot retention wall with a roughly 3 foot+ vertical bar fence on top of it. So no real worries about a gator getting into my back yard.

All that said - I never put my small dog in the backyard without me there. She could easily squeeze between the lateral bars. And I never go into the pond area. We saw a gator the first month we were here, and we almost see one daily now. It's fun to watch them lay around on the bank, and when the water is low, there is a sandbar near the drainage pipe he/she likes to lay on. It's almost like he is on top of the water. Our guests love it. The most I had in NJ were stupid deer that destroyed my landscaping and made my yard look like cow pasture.

Stay away from the ponds, use common sense, and you won't have a problem.

During mating season or droughts, Gators will walk down the streets looking for procreation or new lakes. They might walk into your lawn from the front and not the lake. And you can't keep snakes out either.
.......If someone likes gators so much, try walking about one mile through swampy land at night.........I have
........and I don't think that too many people would want to.

[Daxdog]

A child was killed by a gator at Disney a few years ago, parents ignored a warning sign and did not watch the child. The water was a man made lake, but lots of water nearby it could came from, not the child’s fault, parents to busy drinking and not watching child.

This lady should have known better, come on man, small dog equals gator bait.

Got to be careful a eagle could take it away.

The pond near Brownwood had a gator snowbirds stopped to feel it, it got used to it and had to be destroyed.

It’s not always a Darwin Awards winner, that dog and child had no idea what was possible, but a grownup should. If she ever saw a gator in all the time she lived here, well maybe, but use some common sense and responsibility for your actions.

[Escape Artist]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

Spanish Lakes Fairways has removed four alligators from the retention pond where a woman was killed by an alligator earlier this week.

I called The Villages when I first got here and reported an alligator that was in a nearby retention pond. They said that they won't do anything unless it attacks either a person or an animal. So apparently, they get one attack or kill before anyone does anything about them.

Predators are cleared from lake near retirement community after woman savaged to death by reptile | Daily Mail Online

I would like to state that my fear of alligators was one of the reasons I was hesitant about moving to the Villages. This is an awful, tragic thing that happened and totally avoidable. Developments with dense populations, especially vulnerable populations like seniors or children, should remove them and locate them elsewhere.

[Carlsondm]

Originally Posted by Byte1

Alligators are of no use in a populated community. They are only good for luggage, boots and cuisine.

They were here first!

[Byte1]

I don't care whether or not gators were here before humans. If they are dangerous, they should be removed. I don't care if they eat them, make luggage out of them or whatever as long as they take them out of populated areas. I like trees but I am not a tree hugger. If a tree needs to be taken down in order to make a home, so be it. Someone mentioned birds of prey snatching up domestic cats that are allowed to roam. Sorry, but pet cats should stay in the home or be supervised by it's owner like a dog. No, I would not bother with birds of prey unless they became dangerous to humans. I don't want bears roaming the Villages, just because they were here first. I do not care who or what was here first. If I purchase a home, I don't want wildlife endangering my family or friends, period. And I have no intention of moving some place else "if I don't like it." I love wildlife and I love trees and landscapes, but if I want to build a home on my property anywhere, it doesn't matter what was there first.
The gator goes, not granny.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Byte1

I don't care whether or not gators were here before humans. If they are dangerous, they should be removed. I don't care if they eat them, make luggage out of them or whatever as long as they take them out of populated areas. I like trees but I am not a tree hugger. If a tree needs to be taken down in order to make a home, so be it. Someone mentioned birds of prey snatching up domestic cats that are allowed to roam. Sorry, but pet cats should stay in the home or be supervised by it's owner like a dog. No, I would not bother with birds of prey unless they became dangerous to humans. I don't want bears roaming the Villages, just because they were here first. I do not care who or what was here first. If I purchase a home, I don't want wildlife endangering my family or friends, period. And I have no intention of moving some place else "if I don't like it." I love wildlife and I love trees and landscapes, but if I want to build a home on my property anywhere, it doesn't matter what was there first.
The gator goes, not granny.

Cars are more dangerous to humans than alligators so by your logic, cars go.
Alcohol is more dangerous to humans than alligators so by your logic, alcohol goes.
Dogs are more dangerous to humans than alligators so by your logic, dogs go.
Bicycles, golf carts, peanuts ...

OR, humans wise up and don't do stupid things and then they all can stay.

[Normal]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

Spanish Lakes Fairways has removed four alligators from the retention pond where a woman was killed by an alligator earlier this week.

I called The Villages when I first got here and reported an alligator that was in a nearby retention pond. They said that they won't do anything unless it attacks either a person or an animal. So apparently, they get one attack or kill before anyone does anything about them.

There have been ZERO Gator deaths in the Villages to date. They must be doing something right!

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Cars are more dangerous to humans than alligators so by your logic, cars go.
Alcohol is more dangerous to humans than alligators so by your logic, alcohol goes.
Dogs are more dangerous to humans than alligators so by your logic, dogs go.
Bicycles, golf carts, peanuts ...

OR, humans wise up and don't do stupid things and then they all can stay.

Really? Not sure if you are being satiric.
Like I said earlier, we live in a populated community of seniors, some very are very slow physically and mentally. If you wish to own a gator, then you should take responsibility for it and keep it from harming others. Same with the few poisonous snakes here. I suppose by some folks logic, mosquitoes should be left alone and they should not spray here, so we don't cause them any harm. Rats should be left to live in our attics. A few bears aren't going to harm anyone, right?
C'mon folks, get some common sense. Quit trying to compare ridiculous ideas such as the dangers of car, motorcycles, dogs, birds, peanuts, etc. to REAL dangers. You all did leave out accidental drowning in the many/many swimming pools in the Villages.
There is NO common sense reason for a 'gator to stay in the Villages. We do not live in a zoo or a wildlife sanctuary. And please stop feeding the coyotes, because they are being encouraged to stay around residential areas.

[Vermilion Villager]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

How many people have been attacked in the history of The Villages?

By alligators....0
By drunk cougars on the other hand.........??????

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by Byte1

I don't care whether or not gators were here before humans. If they are dangerous, they should be removed. I don't care if they eat them, make luggage out of them or whatever as long as they take them out of populated areas. I like trees but I am not a tree hugger. If a tree needs to be taken down in order to make a home, so be it. Someone mentioned birds of prey snatching up domestic cats that are allowed to roam. Sorry, but pet cats should stay in the home or be supervised by it's owner like a dog. No, I would not bother with birds of prey unless they became dangerous to humans. I don't want bears roaming the Villages, just because they were here first. I do not care who or what was here first. If I purchase a home, I don't want wildlife endangering my family or friends, period. And I have no intention of moving some place else "if I don't like it." I love wildlife and I love trees and landscapes, but if I want to build a home on my property anywhere, it doesn't matter what was there first.
The gator goes, not granny.

They live among us.