Gator grabs 2 year old at Grand Floridian?

[Mac30188]

But perception is not fact. It's important that people understand the difference, because basing policy on perception is what leads to irrational decisions that unnecessarily limit choices for everyone.

The risk always existed; it was just small. The risk still exists, and is unchanged (notwithstanding the question of whether the particular alligator involved is still at large and more likely to attack again). The question is not when or if another attack could occur. Given enough time and opportunity, the statistical likelihood is that another attack WILL occur, unless something fundamental changes to eliminate the risk entirely (a sign won't do that, by the way). The question is whether the risk is sufficiently high that we need to modify our behaviour in order to reduce it. I'm sure some would say that no risk is acceptable when we're discussing the life of a toddler, but those people are fooling themselves. I guarantee they take risks with the lives of their children every day - much greater risks than that to which the toddler in this incident was exposed.

I don't think your Risk Doctor understands statistics.

The problem is due to the catastrophic impact of being wrong. The impact is a significant part of evaluating the risk. Therefore while the probability is extremely low of another attack, the impact is great enough that Disney still needs to take action. The changes will likely be small and mostly behind the scenes, but Disney will do something to ensure the probability of another attack is as small as we all believe.

 

[crazy4wdw]

From AOL News:

The Walt Disney World Resort was aware of an ongoing problem of guests feeding alligators and had ignored staff requests to put protective fences in place, The Wrap has learned.

Numerous employees at the theme park expressed anxiety to management about guests feeding the animals within the past 14 months, an insider with knowledge of the resort told The Wrap.

An expensive collection of rooms called the Bora Bora Bungalows have been open since April 2015 at the Grand Floridian Hotel, and are situated directly on the Seven Seas Lagoon — the same body of water where a gator fatally dragged toddler Lane Gravesinto the water on Tuesday.

Guests have direct access to wildlife in the waters where the bungalows sit, and commonly feed gators that swim by, the individual said.

"Disney has known about the problem of guests feeding the alligators well-prior to the opening of the bungalows," said the insider. "With the opening of the bungalows, it brought the guests that much closer to wildlife. Or, the wildlife that much closer to the guests."

A spokesman for Walt Disney World declined to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile a custodial employee at that same hotel, Mike Hamilton, warned his employers that gators were consistently swimming close to shore and a fence should be erected to protect guests.

"There are signs that say, 'No swimming,' but no signs that say gators and everything else in this lake,"Hamilton told the Orlando Sentinel.

In the same article, former Disney executive Duncan Dickson said: "The entire property is interconnected via canals so it is difficult to keep them out of the lakes. Gators are on all of the golf courses. The team attempts to relocate the gators to the uninhabited natural areas as best they can, but the gators don't understand the boundaries."

The tragic death of the two-year-old has stirred deep emotions in employees, referred to as "cast members" within the corporate culture, though many are afraid to speak to journalists.

The resort may have been reluctant to slap the wrists of guests paying over $2,000 per night for accommodations, the insider said. The park is also adding similar units to Bay Lake, where the Disney Wilderness Lodge area sits.

The Bora Bora Bungalows problem and the fence request are only recent examples of employees — of which Disney has roughly 70,000 in South and Central Florida,The Wrap reported— raising eyebrows over the parks handling of gators.

The insider recalled a years-old incident of visitors feeding an alligator popcorn and pretzels at another Disney-owned resort in Orlando. A staff hotline to report such incidents was called, and yet the following day guests continued to feed the gators unchecked.

"This was brought to the manager-on-duty's attention and, when he failed to respond, it was reported internally to Disney's cast hotline," said the individual, who declined to be identified. "A few days later, we saw the alligator in the same spot and tourists were again feeding it. We were, as you would imagine, in a state of disbelief. They didn't get it. The managers did not get it, and the guests did not get it."

At a press conference Wednesday, a theme park spokesperson underscored their constant cooperation with Florida Fish and Wildlife. One-third of Walt Disney World is a dedicated wildlife conservation.

Lane's death became an instant cable news sensation, cutting into coverage of another tragedy in the area —the worst mass shooting in U.S. history at Pulse nightclub, where a gunman killed 49 and injured 53.

Lane is survived by parents Melissa and Matt, who attempted to rescue the child in the waters of the Seven Seas Lagoon, and two older siblings. His cause of death was not immediately know, though police speculated it was drowning.

His body was discovered Wednesday 10-15 yards from the site of his attack. Disney closed all the beaches on its resort property in the aftermath.

"As a parent and a grandparent, my heart goes out to the Graves family during this time of devastating loss," said Disney CEO Bob Iger in a statement Wednesday evening. "My thoughts and prayers are with them, and I know everyone at Disney joins me in offering our deepest sympathies."

A legal expert told The Wrap that Disney could face a "multimillion dollar" lawsuit in the wake of this attack. Attorney Joseph Balice says that the family could sue for wrongful death and possibly negligent infliction of emotional distress.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Also, if you took a poll asking tourists "have you ever seen lightning outside" or "have you ever seen an alligator in nature", I'm pretty sure you would see a skew towards the former......Let's be honest.

Unless you have a gator finding app on your phone. Unless you can see them coming somehow. Ridiculous.

Yet it's amazing how many don't take cover in a storm. If it wasn't for the rain I would be very few do.

MG

 

[Liljo22]

A couple of items I want to bring up.

1. I mentioned this earlier but Disney does not have to pay to have gators removed. The Florida Wildlife Commission regulates trappers and pays them per gator plus the trapper gets to sell the meat and hide. To say this is because of cut backs is wrong. The FWC has already said that they are out there regularly trapping gators.

2. My guess would be the no swimming signs were not posted to protect from gator attacks. The last attack was in 1986 and Disney still allowed people to swim in the lake at River Country until 2001. If they felt gator attacks were a problem, they would have stop swimming after the last attack. Someone also posted that their teen was wakeboarding recently in Bay Lake. Disney will of course have signs now.

3. A lot of this is being blown out of proportion. There are resorts on lakes across Florida that allow swimming in the lakes they are one. Attacks are so rare on humans that its common place to swim. I have swam lakes in public parks and have watch people ski and wakeboard in canals that connect to the everglades.

 

[LisaS]

In case a link to this story in the Orlando Sentinel has not already been posted: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-disney-alligator-history-20160615-story.html

It mentions other alligator encounters and sightings in the past year, including a report from a guest at the GF about an hour before the attack occurred.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

In case a link to this story in the Orlando Sentinel has not already been posted: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-disney-alligator-history-20160615-story.html

It mentions other alligator encounters and sightings in the past year, including a report from a guest at the GF about an hour before the attack occurred.

That's interesting....

MG

 

[midaroco]

Be a Parent or Not One At All

I have had it folks! Lately people are saying not to shame or blame parents after "accidents" occur. Well guess what, some parents need some blame. Parents need to wake up! Child neglect IS a form of child abuse. As a parent you ARE responsible to keep your kid safe. There are accidents where children die but there are also incidents where children die that could be totally preventable.

This week a child died of an alligator attack because their parent decided to disobey the many "no swimming" signs located at a water edge. It's that simple. It is horrible, and I can't imagine how terrible it is to lose a child in any way. But let's hold the parent responsible. If the parent followed the signs right in front of him, and not decided to blatantly disregard them, his child would still be alive. We don't know why the parent didn't think the rules applied to him and his family. If the same parent decided not to use a car seat for the 2yr. old and the parent got in a car wreak, we would automatically say he was negligent because the parent knew he was suppose to have a car seat and disregarded the rules. Why is this any different? Because he was on vacation? Because it was unusual? Because the parent fought the alligator? What about the child who was totally unsupervised and fell into gorilla pit? He could have died too. When are we going to hold parents responsible for their neglect? These incidents didn't have to have happen if parents were doing their basic job of being a parent.

Being a parent IS very hard work. But you can't just take a vacation from it whenever a parent wants to. You have to work hard at it, at all times. Not following rules, especially safely ones and rules of supervising your kids, especially in public places IS neglect and it IS child abuse, and if something happens tragic to your child or they become hurt, it IS your fault as a parent. Wake up parents, and be a parent!

What rules, exactly, were broken by the parent in this incident? The sign said no swimming. It did not say no wading. It didn't even say do not enter the water. If the child had two inches of his feet submerged in the water, at the waters edge, what exact rule was broken? There was no disobedience of the no swimming sign. The child wasn't swimming. There was no blatant disregard for any posted signs.

 

[whiporee]

Humans are selfish selfish creatures, and we are already wreaking havoc on the environment. This was an accident...I would like to know the actual odds. Far less than one in a million, if yearly visitor numbers are any indication. Alligators are going to alligator. And looks like humans are going to human and continue to try to sanitize the nature out of nature.

Rats are going to be rats; roaches are going to be roaches. Do you give them unfettered access to your home and your food? They were here first, after all.

I appreciate your passion, but this isn't just humans being mean to animals. Alligators are an unchecked species in suburban Florida. And yes, we've modified the environment. We're animals, too, making our mark on the world, just like other animals. Beavers do dam rivers after all, deer and elk can nearly wipe out aspen forests by eating all the sproutlings, locusts do devastate vegetated areas. We're allowed to live here, too. We're allowed to do things that make us feel safe; we're allowed to do things that make our lives more pleasurable. The fact that we install limits to what we do, to how we change things, to protect animals that would not hesitate to kill and eat us given the chance shows we're, in fact, the least selfish animals on the planet. We make an effort to conserve, to protect, to defend other species; no other animal on the planet can make that claim.

Something being natural does not by definition make it good, and it does not make us bad for modifying the world around us. You can say God gave us dominion over animals, or you can say our natural evolution has given us the ability. But we, as a species, have the right to put our interests above those of other creatures, just as they would do to us. That's natural. And in my opinion, the unchecked population of alligators in suburban areas poses a nuisance to us, and in some cases a tragic one. Because of the nature of the species, the way they migrate, the way they breed, the only way to contain them is to take drastic actions. I understand it's an unpleasant idea, but really, what are the options? More and more alligators are being born -- if you believe the reports coming, more and more of them are invading human spaces at WDW. What exactly are we to do? Alligators aren't content to just live and let live any more than we are -- they'll attack and kill when they choose. Usually small animals, sometimes pets. And every once in a million blue moons, a small child. That's a threat -- albeit a very small one -- that will only grow as both the population of people and alligators increases, and it's one we're within our rights as a species to address.

 

[closetmickey]

Be a Parent or Not One At All

I have had it folks! Lately people are saying not to shame or blame parents after "accidents" occur. Well guess what, some parents need some blame. Parents need to wake up! Child neglect IS a form of child abuse. As a parent you ARE responsible to keep your kid safe. There are accidents where children die but there are also incidents where children die that could be totally preventable.

This week a child died of an alligator attack because their parent decided to disobey the many "no swimming" signs located at a water edge. It's that simple. It is horrible, and I can't imagine how terrible it is to lose a child in any way. But let's hold the parent responsible. If the parent followed the signs right in front of him, and not decided to blatantly disregard them, his child would still be alive. We don't know why the parent didn't think the rules applied to him and his family. If the same parent decided not to use a car seat for the 2yr. old and the parent got in a car wreak, we would automatically say he was negligent because the parent knew he was suppose to have a car seat and disregarded the rules. Why is this any different? Because he was on vacation? Because it was unusual? Because the parent fought the alligator? What about the child who was totally unsupervised and fell into gorilla pit? He could have died too. When are we going to hold parents responsible for their neglect? These incidents didn't have to have happen if parents were doing their basic job of being a parent.

Being a parent IS very hard work. But you can't just take a vacation from it whenever a parent wants to. You have to work hard at it, at all times. Not following rules, especially safely ones and rules of supervising your kids, especially in public places IS neglect and it IS child abuse, and if something happens tragic to your child or they become hurt, it IS your fault as a parent. Wake up parents, and be a parent!

The Federal Child Abuse Prevention
and Treatment Act (CAPTA), (42 U.S.C.A.
§5106g), as amended and reauthorized by
the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010,
defines child abuse and neglect as, at
minimum:
“Any recent act or failure to act on the part of
a parent or caretaker which results in death,
serious physical or emotional harm, sexual
abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to
act which presents an imminent risk of serious
harm."

But to many, the parent WAS obeying the "no swimming" rule.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

What rules, exactly, were broken by the parent in this incident? The sign said no swimming. It did not say no wading. It didn't even say do not enter the water. If the child had two inches of his feet submerged in the water, at the waters edge, what exact rule was broken? There was no disobedience of the no swimming sign. The child wasn't swimming. There was no blatant disregard for any posted signs.

Really?? I've stated my opinion before, but I'll state it again...

If you see a no swimming sign at a local lake, would you assume it's fine to bring a two year old into the water up to his waist?? Can't fathom that.

MG

 

[fairy oma]

Firstly, I cannot imagine the agony that toddler's family is going thru and they are in our prayers. That said we grew up in the midwest and we have discussed this among ourselves and we always understood that "No Swimming" meant no wading, no swimming, don't get in the water under any circumstances. It could mean contaminated or polluted water, a bad algae problem, flood waters, snake infestation, riptides, etc. Unfortunately so many of us nowadays think that signs don't pertain to us (I am not placing blame on the family so no haters Please!)...until a tragedy such as this occurs. We have been to WDW and seen a gator in one of the canals as well as near POR a few years ago...it is Florida after all and no matter where we have gone in Florida where there was water we have seen gators. We, as consumers, must take it upon ourselves to educate ourselves to wildlife indigenous to areas we visit on vacations but unfortunately this tragedy shows us hindsight is 20/20.

If WDW is indeed aware of people in the new Poly Bungalows especially but resort guest feeding alligators perhaps upon their check in they should be warned if caught feeding the wildlife in the lagoon they will be immediately turned in to the police, fined and will be told to vacate the resort. Perhaps it is a bit harsh but maybe it would get the attention of those who might consider feeding them and make them think twice.

 

[romitaz]

Rats are going to be rats; roaches are going to be roaches. Do you give them unfettered access to your home and your food? They were here first, after all.

I appreciate your passion, but this isn't just humans being mean to animals. Alligators are an unchecked species in suburban Florida. And yes, we've modified the environment. We're animals, too, making our mark on the world, just like other animals. Beavers do dam rivers after all, deer and elk can nearly wipe out aspen forests by eating all the sproutlings, locusts do devastate vegetated areas. We're allowed to live here, too. We're allowed to do things that make us feel safe; we're allowed to do things that make our lives more pleasurable. The fact that we install limits to what we do, to how we change things, to protect animals that would not hesitate to kill and eat us given the chance shows we're, in fact, the least selfish animals on the planet. We make an effort to conserve, to protect, to defend other species; no other animal on the planet can make that claim.

Something being natural does not by definition make it good, and it does not make us bad for modifying the world around us. You can say God gave us dominion over animals, or you can say our natural evolution has given us the ability. But we, as a species, have the right to put our interests above those of other creatures, just as they would do to us. That's natural. And in my opinion, the unchecked population of alligators in suburban areas poses a nuisance to us, and in some cases a tragic one. Because of the nature of the species, the way they migrate, the way they breed, the only way to contain them is to take drastic actions. I understand it's an unpleasant idea, but really, what are the options? More and more alligators are being born -- if you believe the reports coming, more and more of them are invading human spaces at WDW. What exactly are we to do? Alligators aren't content to just live and let live any more than we are -- they'll attack and kill when they choose. Usually small animals, sometimes pets. And every once in a million blue moons, a small child. That's a threat -- albeit a very small one -- that will only grow as both the population of people and alligators increases, and it's one we're within our rights as a species to address.

Ok, we get it. You have a personal vendetta against alligators. It's marginally understandable after your early experiences. The alligator population is stable now. Meaning not rising or falling. They are a VITAL part of the ecosystem. As the apex predator of the area, ANYTHING that affects them, affects EVERYTHING below them. Say, the nutria population or the rats that younger alligators can feed on. Say the alligators are all gone. What happens to the secondary animals? The tertiary animals in the chain and so on. We will see a population explosion then a collapse once they strip they vegitation away. What happens then? Mother Nature will seek to balance the scales. Let's pray we aren't the ones on the wrong side next time.

 

[Tikicristi]

Hello, I don't post here very often but have been following this tragic story and reading here for updates over the past couple of days. I am just so devastated for this family.

If anyone is interested, there was just a story on Inside Edition. I know it's a sensationalist show but I just had on the news while doing work on the computer and caught it as it started and it was the lead story. They had a photo of the family, which was hard to see - they are a young, beautiful family and it just broke my heart even more to be able to picture them now. But they also had photos and video from other Disney guests of gators on property. They showed video of a gator walking through WDW parking lot! One at Poly and then interviewed a man who had stayed at Coronado recently and said his son was near the lake's edge there and he saw a gator coming toward his son and yelled for him to get away - then he saw another one in the water. He took photos and showed it to the hotel manager - the manager's response was, "Oh yeah, those are our resident pets."

They also had on another mom who was at GF just an hour before the gator attack on Tuesday - she had photos of her toddler son in the exact same spot, wading in the water by the beach. She talked about how it could've easily been her. The photos were eerie.

Then they had the now-adult man who was attacked by the gator when he was a boy at WDW back in the 80s. His story was chilling and he said of course this tragic event of this toddler being killed just sent chills up his spine.

I know this was all very sensationalist and overblown but I did find the info and evidence about other gators on WDW properties very interesting, especially because we just stayed at Coronado Springs back in Sept. We walked all around that lake and not once did I even consider a gator being in there - and I have been to Fla many times and know about gators but it just did not even cross my mind. Just like I am sure it did not cross this dad or mom's mind the other night.

This story has just been gutwrenching. It really is one of the most horrible stories I've ever heard and I think it IS because we all assume WDW is so safe and you're kind of in this magical bubble when you are there, which is part of the appeal. And because most of us that go to WDW regularly are parents. I've never stayed at any of the deluxe properties yet that have beaches but we are planning to do Poly in the next year or two but it has def. turned me off from the beaches. I was always told about the beach at Poly as being a great place to watch fireworks by our WDW travel planner because we often have dinners there at Kona or O'hana - we've never done it because my daughter was younger and needed to go to bed but now I am so glad I didn't knowing what we know now.

 

[whiporee]

Ok, we get it. You have a personal vendetta against alligators. It's marginally understandable after your early experiences. The alligator population is stable now. Meaning not rising or falling. They are a VITAL part of the ecosystem. As the apex predator of the area, ANYTHING that affects them, affects EVERYTHING below them. Say, the nutria population or the rats that younger alligators can feed on. Say the alligators are all gone. What happens to the secondary animals? The tertiary animals in the chain and so on. We will see a population explosion then a collapse once they strip they vegitation away. What happens then? Mother Nature will seek to balance the scales. Let's pray we aren't the ones on the wrong side next time.

I don't have a vendetta against them, but I sincerely believe the unchecked proliferation of alligators in suburban Florida is a real problem. Along those lines, I don't agree with the premise that anything natural is good, and more of any animal is positive, especially 7-10 long carnivores. And I disagree with the premise that it's encumbant upon humans to make accommodation for every animal all the time. At a minimum, their proliferation is a threat to our enjoyment of our lakes (look how aggressive posters have been about keeping kids out of an inch of water), of our pets, and in very, very, very rare cases, our children.

But I do have to ask you why there wasn't a nutria or rat explosion 40 years ago when they were almost extinct? The habitat available to them has changed drastically in that time. So why do you think it's better to have more of them when there is less space for them to live and thrive? I've seen nothing that suggests that the population is stable -- the facts I've see say it's tripled in 30 years (when hunting permits were re-allowed in 1987, there were estimated 500,000. Now, according to Fish and Wildlife, there are 1.3 million).

You say they are VITAL, and again, I'd ask why weren't they VITAL 50 years ago. What exactly do they eat that wouldn't be eaten by something else? And are you suggesting the current suburban Florida ecosystem is the way an ecosystem ought to be? It's all modified, it's all manufactured, it's all adjusting.

I'm sorry if I'm coming off as vitriolic. I'm not trying to. This is something I care about, and this tragic incident has brought it to a greater light.

 

[LSLS]

Rats are going to be rats; roaches are going to be roaches. Do you give them unfettered access to your home and your food? They were here first, after all.

I appreciate your passion, but this isn't just humans being mean to animals. Alligators are an unchecked species in suburban Florida. And yes, we've modified the environment. We're animals, too, making our mark on the world, just like other animals. Beavers do dam rivers after all, deer and elk can nearly wipe out aspen forests by eating all the sproutlings, locusts do devastate vegetated areas. We're allowed to live here, too. We're allowed to do things that make us feel safe; we're allowed to do things that make our lives more pleasurable. The fact that we install limits to what we do, to how we change things, to protect animals that would not hesitate to kill and eat us given the chance shows we're, in fact, the least selfish animals on the planet. We make an effort to conserve, to protect, to defend other species; no other animal on the planet can make that claim.

Something being natural does not by definition make it good, and it does not make us bad for modifying the world around us. You can say God gave us dominion over animals, or you can say our natural evolution has given us the ability. But we, as a species, have the right to put our interests above those of other creatures, just as they would do to us. That's natural. And in my opinion, the unchecked population of alligators in suburban areas poses a nuisance to us, and in some cases a tragic one. Because of the nature of the species, the way they migrate, the way they breed, the only way to contain them is to take drastic actions. I understand it's an unpleasant idea, but really, what are the options? More and more alligators are being born -- if you believe the reports coming, more and more of them are invading human spaces at WDW. What exactly are we to do? Alligators aren't content to just live and let live any more than we are -- they'll attack and kill when they choose. Usually small animals, sometimes pets. And every once in a million blue moons, a small child. That's a threat -- albeit a very small one -- that will only grow as both the population of people and alligators increases, and it's one we're within our rights as a species to address.

You obviously don't want to hear about the food Web or the fact about how rare attacks are and how many other things kill humans with much more frequency, so I'm bowing out of this one.

 

[LizzyS]

I feel like a lot of people don't have any understanding of alligators in this thread.

I think someone mentioned the St. Augustine Alligator Farm previously in this thread and that's one of my favorite places I went as a child.

Is it that I've always been so interested in animals that I know more about them than people who aren't?

I'm always on alert when near any sort of wilderness, but I also grew up on land that was basically half forest.

I guess what I'm saying is, city folk that aren't accustomed to being in natural surroundings a lot maybe underestimate nature.

 

[LSLS]

I don't have a vendetta against them, but I sincerely believe the unchecked proliferation of alligators in suburban Florida is a real problem. Along those lines, I don't agree with the premise that anything natural is good, and more of any animal is positive, especially 7-10 long carnivores. And I disagree with the premise that it's encumbant upon humans to make accommodation for every animal all the time. At a minimum, their proliferation is a threat to our enjoyment of our lakes (look how aggressive posters have been about keeping kids out of an inch of water), of our pets, and in very, very, very rare cases, our children.

But I do have to ask you why there wasn't a nutria or rat explosion 40 years ago when they were almost extinct? The habitat available to them has changed drastically in that time. So why do you think it's better to have more of them when there is less space for them to live and thrive? I've seen nothing that suggests that the population is stable -- the facts I've see say it's tripled in 30 years (when hunting permits were re-allowed in 1987, there were estimated 500,000. Now, according to Fish and Wildlife, there are 1.3 million).

You say they are VITAL, and again, I'd ask why weren't they VITAL 50 years ago. What exactly do they eat that wouldn't be eaten by something else? And are you suggesting the current suburban Florida ecosystem is the way an ecosystem ought to be? It's all modified, it's all manufactured, it's all adjusting.

I'm sorry if I'm coming off as vitriolic. I'm not trying to. This is something I care about, and this tragic incident has brought it to a greater light.

They were important, go look up and read what happened to the ecosystems when they were hunted to near extinction. At some point you need to do your own research here.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

From AOL News:

The Walt Disney World Resort was aware of an ongoing problem of guests feeding alligators and had ignored staff requests to put protective fences in place, The Wrap has learned.

Numerous employees at the theme park expressed anxiety to management about guests feeding the animals within the past 14 months, an insider with knowledge of the resort told The Wrap.

An expensive collection of rooms called the Bora Bora Bungalows have been open since April 2015 at the Grand Floridian Hotel, and are situated directly on the Seven Seas Lagoon — the same body of water where a gator fatally dragged toddler Lane Gravesinto the water on Tuesday.

Guests have direct access to wildlife in the waters where the bungalows sit, and commonly feed gators that swim by, the individual said.

"Disney has known about the problem of guests feeding the alligators well-prior to the opening of the bungalows," said the insider. "With the opening of the bungalows, it brought the guests that much closer to wildlife. Or, the wildlife that much closer to the guests."

A spokesman for Walt Disney World declined to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile a custodial employee at that same hotel, Mike Hamilton, warned his employers that gators were consistently swimming close to shore and a fence should be erected to protect guests.

"There are signs that say, 'No swimming,' but no signs that say gators and everything else in this lake,"Hamilton told the Orlando Sentinel.

In the same article, former Disney executive Duncan Dickson said: "The entire property is interconnected via canals so it is difficult to keep them out of the lakes. Gators are on all of the golf courses. The team attempts to relocate the gators to the uninhabited natural areas as best they can, but the gators don't understand the boundaries."

The tragic death of the two-year-old has stirred deep emotions in employees, referred to as "cast members" within the corporate culture, though many are afraid to speak to journalists.

The resort may have been reluctant to slap the wrists of guests paying over $2,000 per night for accommodations, the insider said. The park is also adding similar units to Bay Lake, where the Disney Wilderness Lodge area sits.

The Bora Bora Bungalows problem and the fence request are only recent examples of employees — of which Disney has roughly 70,000 in South and Central Florida,The Wrap reported— raising eyebrows over the parks handling of gators.

The insider recalled a years-old incident of visitors feeding an alligator popcorn and pretzels at another Disney-owned resort in Orlando. A staff hotline to report such incidents was called, and yet the following day guests continued to feed the gators unchecked.

"This was brought to the manager-on-duty's attention and, when he failed to respond, it was reported internally to Disney's cast hotline," said the individual, who declined to be identified. "A few days later, we saw the alligator in the same spot and tourists were again feeding it. We were, as you would imagine, in a state of disbelief. They didn't get it. The managers did not get it, and the guests did not get it."

At a press conference Wednesday, a theme park spokesperson underscored their constant cooperation with Florida Fish and Wildlife. One-third of Walt Disney World is a dedicated wildlife conservation.

Lane's death became an instant cable news sensation, cutting into coverage of another tragedy in the area —the worst mass shooting in U.S. history at Pulse nightclub, where a gunman killed 49 and injured 53.

Lane is survived by parents Melissa and Matt, who attempted to rescue the child in the waters of the Seven Seas Lagoon, and two older siblings. His cause of death was not immediately know, though police speculated it was drowning.

His body was discovered Wednesday 10-15 yards from the site of his attack. Disney closed all the beaches on its resort property in the aftermath.

"As a parent and a grandparent, my heart goes out to the Graves family during this time of devastating loss," said Disney CEO Bob Iger in a statement Wednesday evening. "My thoughts and prayers are with them, and I know everyone at Disney joins me in offering our deepest sympathies."

A legal expert told The Wrap that Disney could face a "multimillion dollar" lawsuit in the wake of this attack. Attorney Joseph Balice says that the family could sue for wrongful death and possibly negligent infliction of emotional distress.

To be fair...AOL has another story running about this http://www.aol.com/article/2016/06/...-after-alligator-death-not-criminal/21396802/ which was posted a few hours after the article you pasted in was posted.....while I read AOL everyday they have a habit of posting stories to grab people's attention (and if you really want nasty comments just read the comments on AOL stories..I don't even have words to describe that).

Also The Wrap, who wrote the news story from the one you posted, is an Entertainment website where their front page says "The Wrap-Covering Hollywood". Their front page consists of 3 main stories about this issue another story about a new movie coming out, facts about the Fast and Furious franchise, Walking Dead news, NCIS news, etc..see my trend?

Their 3 stories have the headlines-"Gator Attack: Disney knew of problems" with a pic of the bungalows (this wordage criminalizes Disney), "Disney gator attack: Sheriff on criminal charges against parents" with a pic of the sheriff (this wordage criminalizes the parents) and finally "Is Disney legally liable for gator attack" (this wordage again criminalizes Disney) with a pic of a gator in water.

Unfortunately there are virtually no media outlets nowadays that give us the facts without putting their spin on it and often that spin is designed to gain viewership and shares across social media.

 

[romitaz]

I don't have a vendetta against them, but I sincerely believe the unchecked proliferation of alligators in suburban Florida is a real problem. Along those lines, I don't agree with the premise that anything natural is good, and more of any animal is positive, especially 7-10 long carnivores. And I disagree with the premise that it's encumbant upon humans to make accommodation for every animal all the time. At a minimum, their proliferation is a threat to our enjoyment of our lakes (look how aggressive posters have been about keeping kids out of an inch of water), of our pets, and in very, very, very rare cases, our children.

But I do have to ask you why there wasn't a nutria or rat explosion 40 years ago when they were almost extinct? The habitat available to them has changed drastically in that time. So why do you think it's better to have more of them when there is less space for them to live and thrive? I've seen nothing that suggests that the population is stable -- the facts I've see say it's tripled in 30 years (when hunting permits were re-allowed in 1987, there were estimated 500,000. Now, according to Fish and Wildlife, there are 1.3 million).

You say they are VITAL, and again, I'd ask why weren't they VITAL 50 years ago. What exactly do they eat that wouldn't be eaten by something else? And are you suggesting the current suburban Florida ecosystem is the way an ecosystem ought to be? It's all modified, it's all manufactured, it's all adjusting.

I'm sorry if I'm coming off as vitriolic. I'm not trying to. This is something I care about, and this tragic incident has brought it to a greater light.

Dude, please do some research.

 

[rteetz]

From AOL News:

The Walt Disney World Resort was aware of an ongoing problem of guests feeding alligators and had ignored staff requests to put protective fences in place, The Wrap has learned.

Numerous employees at the theme park expressed anxiety to management about guests feeding the animals within the past 14 months, an insider with knowledge of the resort told The Wrap.

An expensive collection of rooms called the Bora Bora Bungalows have been open since April 2015 at the Grand Floridian Hotel, and are situated directly on the Seven Seas Lagoon — the same body of water where a gator fatally dragged toddler Lane Gravesinto the water on Tuesday.

Guests have direct access to wildlife in the waters where the bungalows sit, and commonly feed gators that swim by, the individual said.

"Disney has known about the problem of guests feeding the alligators well-prior to the opening of the bungalows," said the insider. "With the opening of the bungalows, it brought the guests that much closer to wildlife. Or, the wildlife that much closer to the guests."

A spokesman for Walt Disney World declined to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile a custodial employee at that same hotel, Mike Hamilton, warned his employers that gators were consistently swimming close to shore and a fence should be erected to protect guests.

"There are signs that say, 'No swimming,' but no signs that say gators and everything else in this lake,"Hamilton told the Orlando Sentinel.

In the same article, former Disney executive Duncan Dickson said: "The entire property is interconnected via canals so it is difficult to keep them out of the lakes. Gators are on all of the golf courses. The team attempts to relocate the gators to the uninhabited natural areas as best they can, but the gators don't understand the boundaries."

The tragic death of the two-year-old has stirred deep emotions in employees, referred to as "cast members" within the corporate culture, though many are afraid to speak to journalists.

The resort may have been reluctant to slap the wrists of guests paying over $2,000 per night for accommodations, the insider said. The park is also adding similar units to Bay Lake, where the Disney Wilderness Lodge area sits.

The Bora Bora Bungalows problem and the fence request are only recent examples of employees — of which Disney has roughly 70,000 in South and Central Florida,The Wrap reported— raising eyebrows over the parks handling of gators.

The insider recalled a years-old incident of visitors feeding an alligator popcorn and pretzels at another Disney-owned resort in Orlando. A staff hotline to report such incidents was called, and yet the following day guests continued to feed the gators unchecked.

"This was brought to the manager-on-duty's attention and, when he failed to respond, it was reported internally to Disney's cast hotline," said the individual, who declined to be identified. "A few days later, we saw the alligator in the same spot and tourists were again feeding it. We were, as you would imagine, in a state of disbelief. They didn't get it. The managers did not get it, and the guests did not get it."

At a press conference Wednesday, a theme park spokesperson underscored their constant cooperation with Florida Fish and Wildlife. One-third of Walt Disney World is a dedicated wildlife conservation.

Lane's death became an instant cable news sensation, cutting into coverage of another tragedy in the area —the worst mass shooting in U.S. history at Pulse nightclub, where a gunman killed 49 and injured 53.

Lane is survived by parents Melissa and Matt, who attempted to rescue the child in the waters of the Seven Seas Lagoon, and two older siblings. His cause of death was not immediately know, though police speculated it was drowning.

His body was discovered Wednesday 10-15 yards from the site of his attack. Disney closed all the beaches on its resort property in the aftermath.

"As a parent and a grandparent, my heart goes out to the Graves family during this time of devastating loss," said Disney CEO Bob Iger in a statement Wednesday evening. "My thoughts and prayers are with them, and I know everyone at Disney joins me in offering our deepest sympathies."

A legal expert told The Wrap that Disney could face a "multimillion dollar" lawsuit in the wake of this attack. Attorney Joseph Balice says that the family could sue for wrongful death and possibly negligent infliction of emotional distress.

This wrap story has been making the rounds but I'm not buying every aspect of it.