240 Gators Caught at Disney World Over Last 10 Years (link)

[drysdaleo]

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/state/240-gators-caught-at-disney-world-over-the-last-10-years

 

[Lynne M]

Moving to the Rumors and News board.

 

[rteetz]

This just proves that Disney has been taking action on alligators for years.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

But yet it's Disneys fault according to some people that alligators exist there. Honestly I thought that number would be a lot higher. Statistically that could mean alligators could maybe be seen twice a month

 

[NYUBwayBaby]

Reuters had the following information:
"Disney’s alligator harvest permit, which was issued in 2009 and expires in 2019, specifies that the resort can remove up to 300 alligators of more than 4 feet in length from the area during the 10 years covered by the agreement."
The 240 does not include the six removed last week.
The permit also only allows certain Disney employees to remove them "where immediate action is required." Otherwise they need a state-authorized trapper.

 

[LSLS]

Honestly that is less than I figured. That's only 2 a month for the entire resort.

 

[sarah4770]

Here is a link to the permit to remove gators.
http://mediaweb.wftv.com/document_dev/2016/06/22/fwc special purpose permit_4982364_ver1.0.pdf

 

[romitaz]

The 13 footer that was removed at the beginning of 2015 would have been interesting to know he came from.

 

[LeeAndRobin]

"Statewide, 6,706 alligators were harvested in 2014."

So if they're harvesting around 7,000/year in Florida, and there are 1.3 million, and each female can produce up to 90 young/year, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the alligator population in Florida is increasing at an exponential rate. Which for you non-rocket scientists out there means that the population growth is getting faster every year. This is not a good thing, and not ecologically sound.

 

[Josh Hendy]

The 13 footer that was removed at the beginning of 2015 would have been interesting to know he came from.

Australia most likely. Or possibly a time traveler from the Cretaceous.

 

[romitaz]

"Statewide, 6,706 alligators were harvested in 2014."

So if they're harvesting around 7,000/year in Florida, and there are 1.3 million, and each female can produce up to 90 young/year, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the alligator population in Florida is increasing at an exponential rate. Which for you non-rocket scientists out there means that the population growth is getting faster every year. This is not a good thing, and not ecologically sound.

Nope, the population is actually very stable. The state issues tags and hunting permits to keep the population stable. To give you an example, there are normally around 10,000 applicants for the 5000 permits that are given out in an average year. Each permit allows 2 alligators to be harvested. This is the state wide lottery hunt. Then there are the private lands management programs in place to keep the population in check.

 

[sheetz]

Interesting that the number peaked in 2011 at 31 and had been in decline until last year when only 16 were caught.

 

[romitaz]

Australia most likely. Or possibly a time traveler from the Cretaceous.

Im in Da Bayou. 13 footers, while not common, aren't super super rare either.

 

[LSLS]

"Statewide, 6,706 alligators were harvested in 2014."

So if they're harvesting around 7,000/year in Florida, and there are 1.3 million, and each female can produce up to 90 young/year, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the alligator population in Florida is increasing at an exponential rate. Which for you non-rocket scientists out there means that the population growth is getting faster every year. This is not a good thing, and not ecologically sound.

It is only not ecologically sound if the ecosystem can not support that many gators and we have not reached that point yet from what I have read. Also, they may produce 90, but only around 5 young survive according to Fish and Wildlife. You also do not factor in other causes of death for gators. The numbers are growing, but certainly not exponentially.

 

[LeeAndRobin]

It is only not ecologically sound if the ecosystem can not support that many gators and we have not reached that point yet from what I have read. Also, they may produce 90, but only around 5 young survive according to Fish and Wildlife. You also do not factor in other causes of death for gators. The numbers are growing, but certainly not exponentially.

Nope, the population is actually very stable.

Ok, let's take a minimalist set of numbers. F&W says that there are 1.3 million gators in Fla. If we assume less than 10% of those breed (100,000) and each of those only produce 1 young which survives to adulthood, that's 100,000 new adult gators every year. If 10,000 are culled each year, that leaves a net increase of 90,000 gators/year. That certainly doesn't sound like a stable population to me, even if it's half that number. In all likelyhood, the number is higher. So how exactly do you conclude that the population is "stable"?

 

[romitaz]

Ok, let's take a minimalist set of numbers. F&W says that there are 1.3 million gators in Fla. If we assume less than 10% of those breed (100,000) and each of those only produce 1 young which survives to adulthood, that's 100,000 new adult gators every year. If 10,000 are culled each year, that leaves a net increase of 90,000 gators/year. That certainly doesn't sound like a stable population to me, even if it's half that number. In all likelyhood, the number is higher. So how exactly do you conclude that the population is "stable"?

Because the egg estimates and nest counts that happen every year say so. The 6700 alligators taken last year is not program wide. That number was the number of nuisance alligators removed. There is no mention of the numbers removed on private land or the eggs harvested by farmers. I have attached the report of the NUISANCE alligators removed. It looks strangely similar to the number in the article. Hmmm, coincidence? I think not.

 

[Josh Hendy]

Unless there is a vast increase in the amount of protected habitat and prey animals and a vast decrease in the predators who eat baby gators, it is impossible for there to be a vast increase in the gator population.

 

[LeeAndRobin]

Unless there is a vast increase in the amount of protected habitat and prey animals and a vast decrease in the predators who eat baby gators, it is impossible for there to be a vast increase in the gator population.

Every square inch of Florida is protected habitat for a gator, until it gets to be 4 feet long.

 

[LSLS]

Ok, let's take a minimalist set of numbers. F&W says that there are 1.3 million gators in Fla. If we assume less than 10% of those breed (100,000) and each of those only produce 1 young which survives to adulthood, that's 100,000 new adult gators every year. If 10,000 are culled each year, that leaves a net increase of 90,000 gators/year. That certainly doesn't sound like a stable population to me, even if it's half that number. In all likelyhood, the number is higher. So how exactly do you conclude that the population is "stable"?

So you are under the assumption that only gators taken by hunters die? They do not die for any other reasons? That said, the population is rising (albeit at a much smaller rate than decades ago, and certainly far from exponentially).

And at any rate, that does not mean the population is not ecologically sound. There were a lot more gators than that historically in Florida in a balanced ecosystem. It would only become unbalanced if the gator population started killing off entire prey populations, which is not happening. The ecosystem can sustain a good deal more gators, which is why we don't try (nor should we try) to have a net 0 increase of gators.

 

[LeeAndRobin]

Because the egg estimates and nest counts that happen every year say so.

Can you provide a link to said estimates? Thanks.