More Problems With Alligators

[Janice]

Gators kill 3 in one week

The bodies of two women, both apparently killed by alligators, were found Sunday less than a week after a similar death in Florida, where there have been just 17 confirmed fatal attacks by the animals in the previous 58 years. One of the women was attacked while snorkeling southeast of Gainesville, said Marion County Fire-Rescue Capt. Joe Amigliore. "The people she was staying with came around and found her inside the gator's mouth," he said.


http://www.cnn.com/

[feederband]

I'm starting to wonder with the development explosion in Florida we are taking away some of thier food sources away from them and they are just starting take what ever they can ...

[Janice]

I wonder if all this will affect tourism this summer on the beaches down there?

[O Town]

Doubt it Janice. The gators are in fresh water settings mostley. The one attach happened in a spring I visit every summer, Juniper. The depth of this spring is about 20 feet and no shallow end, I think the gator got in through the St. Johns/lake George and was undetected because of the depth of the spring. I won't be going back anytime soon.

[Aquawind]

I pay attention when walking the dogs along our canal and river being the thought of them getting chomped crosses my mind on occasion.

It must be Global Warming..

[Janice]

What do they normally eat? Isn't there enough food out there to satisfy them or are they just preditors regardless if they are hungry or not? Some say they may be in areas with not much food, maybe food is not the problem.

[GrimReaper]

Gators LOVE little yappy kind of dogs...."tastes just like chicken"!! I don't know what the devil is going on dwon here.... but common sense really needs to prevail....you just don't take a casual walk around any area known to gators during the mating season, especially with a small child or dog that makes a lot of high pitched squeaking noise.

Take care amd eat more CHICKEN!!

[nholley]

Isn't it likely that this is just coincidence combined with stupidity? Am i correct in thinking that the first woman was dangling her legs over the edge near the water? As the reaper says that is not exactly using common sense.

[O Town]

Yes, but the one lady was just snorkling same as I have done in that same spring, that is a park. And I know of many more that were not stupidity, all though there are just as many that could have been prevented because people just think it won't happen to them. And usually it won't. This is only the 17th fatal alligater attack in the past 58 years. It just seems in the past 10 there has been more, and more. Where these past 2 attacks were there is plenty of food for the gators, but it seems alot of people treat the gators as pets and feed them which in turn causes them to be less fearful of humans. There is many more people coming in contact with them than ever before. Whatever the reason I don't like it at all. We already have the shark bite capital of the world here on the east coast at New Smyrna. Everytime I enter the water for the exception of pools, I really can't help but think what I am swimming with. I know it is more likley to get in a car accident and a million other things, but that is just a big fear I have. I try not to freak out my kids but as they are swimming around I am a nervous wreck, I wish I could just go swimming without having to think of all this.

[nholley]

Yes, but the one lady was just snorkling same as I have done in that same spring, that is a park. And I know of many more that were not stupidity, all though there are just as many that could have been prevented because people just think it won't happen to them. And usually it won't. This is only the 17th fatal alligater attack in the past 58 years. It just seems in the past 10 there has been more, and more. Where these past 2 attacks were there is plenty of food for the gators, but it seems alot of people treat the gators as pets and feed them which in turn causes them to be less fearful of humans. There is many more people coming in contact with them than ever before. Whatever the reason I don't like it at all. We already have the shark bite capital of the world here on the east coast at New Smyrna. Everytime I enter the water for the exception of pools, I really can't help but think what I am swimming with. I know it is more likley to get in a car accident and a million other things, but that is just a big fear I have. I try not to freak out my kids but as they are swimming around I am a nervous wreck, I wish I could just go swimming without having to think of all this.

Everytime I enter the water all I hear in my head is the Jaws music.

[Janice]

I think I would have a stroke just witnessing an alligator or shark attack.

[x-y-no]

This time of year gators (particularly females) tend to wander further into settled areas. Partly a matter of seeking places to lay eggs, partly a matter of seeking food, I think.

At my parents' house when I grew up, we'd get one or two of them in the lake behind the house every couple of years. Usually little ones - 5 feet or so. Biggest was nearly 9 feet.

[Derek Ortt]

No gators on the beaches of Florida

just salt water crocodiles... far worse. Had a 20 footer off of South Beach a couple of years ago. Needless to say, that beach cleared out immediately

[greeng13]

another point with regards to gators is that this is their breeding season right now if i am not mistaken and the mommas are VERY protective of their young and are VERY territorial....so it might not necessarily be from hunger or as a food source for us humans....now a little dog/small child...that is a different story as that would be the size fo their "normal" prey....

we do get gators on the salt water beaches here and i also grew up in st pete and taught sailing down there where constantly there might be a gator in Tampa Bay that got washed out/found its way out of the storm drainage system...

[rainstorm]

i think gators are getting a bad rep here. they are a part of nature, and i am getting mad that they are being slaughtered

[greeng13]

they do taste good though

[Dustin]

i think gators are getting a bad rep here. they are a part of nature, and i am getting mad that they are being slaughtered

True helen, they are a part of nature, but you would rather people be slaughtered?

[feederband]

i think gators are getting a bad rep here. they are a part of nature, and i am getting mad that they are being slaughtered

So are cows and chickens...Just the way things are...

[GrimReaper]

Gator is soooooo tasty, fried just right in a VERY light breading, and dipped in honey-mustard sauce!!! My mouth is watering now... might have to get some for dinner. BETTER than chicken.

Even if we are at this point over-populated with gators....Rain is RIGHT, it is WRONG to slaughter them because of stupid humans causing gator-human conflicts. If people paid attention to their surrounding environment, and acted appropriately (ie no dogs or kids near ponds, rivers, etc.... and maybe didn't dangle their feet over gator infested areas..... then maybe less of this sort of thing would happen!!

People should wise up-----prob won't happen.

[alicia-w]

alligators are in brackish water too, so it's entirely possible to encounter them on a beach on brackish water.