Alligator in the Driveway

[marlasmom]

When I came home last night, two families of neighbors were standing on the adjacent lawn. They called to me to come meet our "new neighbor." It was a baby alligator about 4 feet long that had apparently crawled from the lake about 2 blocks away. They called the wildlife officer to come get it. He managed to get a noose around it after about 5 or 6 tries, told us it was perfectly capable of "taking off a hand." He taped its mouth and feet with electrical tape and put it into a bin in his truck. He said he would release it in the wild. Before he left the officer invited the children to pet the alligator if they wanted. Of course taking him up on that were my grandson and my grown (or not) daughter. The alligator was a feisty thing. Alligators terrify me. I don't want to see another one.

 

[liznboys]

With all the alligator talk on these boards, I think I've developed a fear of them! LOL!!

 

[zurgswife]

WOW!!

 

[tiggerlover]

Yikes!! Alligators give me the willies!

 

[DukeStreetKing]

There's a couple of gators that live in the retention ponds at my apartment complex. A couple of years ago, a trapper came and took one away because the gator did what came naturally and took down a deer that was drinking at the edge of the pond.

They should have kept it, in my opinion, it was just doing it's job. This guy was a huge one, too, about 6 or 7 feet long!

 

[poochie]

Originally posted by DukeStreetKing
There's a couple of gators that live in the retention ponds at my apartment complex. A couple of years ago, a trapper came and took one away because the gator did what came naturally and took down a deer that was drinking at the edge of the pond.

They should have kept it, in my opinion, it was just doing it's job. This guy was a huge one, too, about 6 or 7 feet long!

I believe they were only trying to keep it from what is natural, next time it could have been someone's pet or child.

Sorry, anything that can come after you for a snack, should not be around a residential area. Beside they were going to release it in a more unpopulated area, where it would be happier. I love to visit FL, but I have issues with the size of the wildlife down there. I am happy up here in WNY, where are biggest threat is deer/car collisions. black flies, and the mosquito population. Those kind of bites a little Hydrocortizine cream will take care of., no missing body parts here.

 

[HollyJoy]

I would have freaked!!

 

[cati]

OMG, if I had walked out and seen that I would have croaked.

 

[AMClvsMKY]

In the campground that my MIL lives are 2 alligators that live in the ponds there. They have been there for awhile now and sometimes the can be seen walking thru the park to get to the other pond. She says the residents all sit back and watch it ( from a reasonable distance, of course). They have never bothered anyone, but they do keep a close eye on their small dogs, just in case.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

 

[Figment22]

There are gators all over the place down here in the Lowcountry. I know there are a couple in the ponds right in our development. My kids are very aware and know not even to go near the perimeters of the ponds. (They're 14 and 10--I wouldn't sound as confident if they were younger). They are, unfortunately, a fact of life in the south. I was much happier years ago when they were still an endangered species. Don't flame me, but extinction would have been OK by me

The big problem here is that the tourists feed them and then they just keep getting closer and closer to humans. Not a good thing.

Please don't feed the gators!!!

 

[marlasmom]

I agree with you. I would have cheerfully run him over with the car. They are on the menu of many restaurants down here and that's fine with me - although I would NEVER eat it. Be aware though - they come out of the ponds and bask on the shore and they can move very fast.

My DH and friends see them on golf courses very frequently.

 

[Blondie]

Now see, I think it would be so cool to find an alligator in my driveway. But I certainly don't want him eating any of my friends or my fur baby!

 

[Figment22]

Originally posted by marlasmom
I agree with you. I would have cheerfully run him over with the car.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Originally posted by marlasmom
I agree with you. I would have cheerfully run him over with the car. They are on the menu of many restaurants down here and that's fine with me - although I would NEVER eat it.

Gator tail is an excellent dish! Honestly, it doesn't taste bad at all. It is usually prepared deep fried and served with either orange marmalade or a spicier sauce. If you didn't know what it was, you wouldn't know what it is. And, no, it doesn't taste like chicken.