I Finally Saw The Gator!

[Safari Steve]

It's only rare when it doesn't happen often. 14 recorded attacks since 1948 is not often and, as has been mentioned more than once, if you don't bother them, they won't bother you. You are much more apt to be struck by lightning while in Central FL. If anyone has the stats on lightning-related injuries in the last 55 years, I'm sure they are much higher. Peter Benchley has yet to write a paranoya-inducing novel about lightning, however.

 

[wdwguide]

Originally posted by Safari Steve
If anyone has the stats on lightning-related injuries in the last 55 years, I'm sure they are much higher.

There have been 345 lightning-caused fatalities in Florida between 1959 and 1994. The fatality rate is 23%.

 

[Ted and Holly]

Originally posted by baloo722
It's only rare until it is your child....I still say when one is spotted, it needs to become luggage.

Whew! Glad you aren't in charge of our Natural Resources policy!

Let's kill all the swans too. They can and will drown a swimmer, especially one that is smaller and not as strong, like a child.

We saw an alligator in MK, right about where everyone else has. It was a large one. Maybe close to 6 feet. It was hanging around the walkway. I am sure it was waiting for, and used to hand-outs. Bad for that gator.

Ted

 

[DisneyVillain]

Originally posted by Safari Steve
14 recorded attacks since 1948

Where did you get your statistics? According to Florida Museum of Natural History, from 1948-1995 Florida had 218 alligator attacks, 7 of them fatal, and 276 shark attacks, 6 of them fatal.

Source of alligator attack data: Conover, M.R. and T.J. Dubow. 1997. Alligator attacks on humans in the United States. Herpetological Review 28(3): 120-124.

Source of shark attack data: International Shark Attack File, 3 February 1998.

 

[DisneyVillain]

Originally posted by baloo722
It's only rare until it is your child....I still say when one is spotted, it needs to become luggage.

Approximately 17 people die from bee and wasp stings each year. Another dozen people die from dog bites. Fourteen children per year die from playground injuries. Nine drownings per day, not counting boating accidents. Over 500 cycling deaths per year. Twelve snake bite deaths per year. Note that these are annual numbers, while the 8 alligator fatalities were over 48 years!

It isn't realistic to expect to remove every hazard or to extinct every species that results in 8 deaths over 48 years. (Especially considering that more than 1 of those 8 were practically begging the gator to attack.)

 

[mommystieg]

We also saw the BCV gator several times during our visit last month. Unfortunately, people have been feeding him and any time he was out and we walked across the bridge to the parking lot he would swim right up and wait.

Safari Steve-is there a reason that there is not a sign posted at BCV about not feeding the alligator? I saw something on Animal Planet about people feeding gators. They said that once gators associated people with food they had to be destroyed--they could not be relocated....

 

[Safari Steve]

Excuse me, that should be 14 fatalities, not 14 attacks. My mistake. This is the statistic that all the local media related from the FL Dept of Fish and Wildlife when reporting on the recent death.

In any event, your second post makes the same point I was attempting with the lightning comparison.

Also, in any other event, Pest Mgmt is very good about monitoring possible nuisance animals. As far as food drawing the gators in, from what I've seen, many of them come into the park to eat ducks, and I have yet to see any guests feeding them. If you see anyone feeding an alligator, notify a CM immediately.

*Edit*
The only reason that I can think of for no sign is that hotel management is not aware of the problem. As was mentioned in an earlier post, feeding alligators is not only dangerous, but illegal. While they probably wouldn't give a second thought to the safety aspect, some guests might respond more favorably to the prospect of a fine.

 

[kdibattista]

As was mentioned in an earlier post, feeding alligators is not only dangerous, but illegal.

Not to mention STUPID!!!! What the heck are these people thinking!?!?!?!?!

 

[PamNC]

last year while riding on the riverboat. he's cute. I'm sure it's not the same one but it's fun to pretend like they are special Disney gators.

PamNC

 

[Jay Since 72]

oops

 

[NotUrsula]

While I agree that N.A. Alligators are not normally a threat to humans, I'd have to be seriously drunk to ever call one of them cute. This is why we have tourists feeding them marshmallows as if they were fluffy duckies. These things EAT fluffy duckies, feathers, beak and all, and they SMELL to high heaven, of eau de open sewer.

I grew up in S. Louisiana, right on the Intracoastal Canal, and we had gators in and out of the yard all the time. My father hunted the big ones for the hides, back when that was still legal. The memory of gator stench has stayed with me for more than 30 years. It's vile.

 

[mommystieg]

Hey Safari Steve-it's me again. Is there someone I should notify about the alligator feeding? I would hate for anything to happen to the little guy(or any human)because of a few people's ignorance.

 

[Samirella]

Originally posted by baloo722
Just got back today. my daughter spotted one in the canal between boardwalk & mgm. For thosew who say they are harmless, a 12 year old boy was killed in central florida last week by one of these harmless creatures...i say round 'em up.

Yes, because he was swimming in a Florida river at night during mating season. The gators in the WDW area will remain harmless as long people are smart enough to know they shouldn't try feeding them. This will only teach them to associate people with food.

 

[Safari Steve]

When/if you see it happening, call the Front Desk/Villa Guest Services.

 

[wdwguide]

Originally posted by mommystieg
Hey Safari Steve-it's me again. Is there someone I should notify about the alligator feeding? I would hate for anything to happen to the little guy(or any human)because of a few people's ignorance.

A fed gator is, sadly, already a dead gator. It's just the question whether or not it hurts somebody before it is killed due to some @#$%'s stupidity.

 

[Ted and Holly]

Now if you were feeding gator TO people, that is another story.

 

[antnee]

Whats does a 12 ft gator eat????? Cookies?????

 

[gshoemate]

We saw one at Animal Kingdom...and no it was not on the safari. When your on the walkway to Tarzan, the water on your left. We saw one swimming in there about 4 months ago. But we have not seen one since then.

 

[Jay Since 72]

Is there any truth to the rumor that there is a disticntive "ticking" noise coming from one of the WDW gators?

 

[Dancind]

I think the BCV alligator gets fed regularly. We saw this happen twice when we stayed there last. One time, I mentioned to the people that you aren't supposed to feed gators, and they ignored me. I guess if they were stupid enough to feed a gator bread.. (Do they think it's related to birds?) The second time, I mentioned it to a CM with a cart in the parking lot (maybe he was a landscape contractor?), he shrugged and said "it happens all the time". Poor dead BCV gator. Diana