Just back - Gator sightings...

[cooldisneymom]

Possibly another reason why River Country will never come back?

 

[SnowWhiteIsDreaming]

Last October, we were standing on the bridge that looks over the Splash Mountain and I saw a CM there. I asked him what he was looking at. He pointed out this 4 foot alligator just lying in the water in the sun. I asked him "Isn't that dangerous since he's so close to all the SM logs with people going by (this is the part right after the big drop), and he said "This is Florida. Gators are everywhere and he will probably just stay there and bask in the sun for a long time. I'm just keeping my eye on him." That didn't make me feel great, but I guess WDW must know when a gator is a problem or not. So we proceeded to ride SM since that's where we were going. Anyways, about 5 minutes later (we had FP), we went down the big drop and I could see the gator still in the same place. I was a litte nervous since my kids were with me, but the gator wasn't moving and he wasn't that close (there was grass between us and the water he was in. I wonder when he finally left. I bet the gator got there in the middle of the night, and was there all day. How could he get there ...walk thru the streets of WDW? Do you think they waited til WSW closed and removed him? Or do you think they let him leave by himself?

 

[Pinnie]

It was probably just Ben looking for his sweetie Hyacinth who was working the It's a Small World venue.

pinnie

 

[G&J's Mom]

Those y'all reported are sooooo big! YIKES!!

But I guess you have to look at it this way, they must be monitored closely, because you never hear of any attacks. As intimidating as they seem, I think that makes me feel pretty safe.

Still won't stop me from looking over my shoulder for them when I get there in two days though. Oh well.

Denise

 

[Kerlynne]

OMG I just listened to the sounds of them, and my heart actually was beating faster! They freak me out. My Ds has a real phobia with them as well as snakes big time! Why would they take the chance of some kid fooling around or some dumb adult teasing them, and the gator get pissed and decide to bite. How does Disney know when they they will be hungry? Or more so just scared and go after a young toddler! Ya would think they would just keep relocating them. At least I wouldn't be so afraid if they were at an area that there were no people. But where people are in the boats, say they fall in the water! Especially the one near the BC is what has me scared!
I know at SOG there used to be one there, but it wasn't too bad, since it was really far from where we would be.

 

[parmtoo]

I was going to let my 2 DDs (16 & 14) ride the water mice at FW this Aug. I have changed my mind. I also wonder why they just leave them there? Maybe they remove them at night but they keep coming back? Scarey, I've heard of attacks in Fla., but usually b/c someone was bothering them. I hope I don't see any when we go in Aug.

 

[sodaseller]

Go Gators!

 

[Talking Hands]

Only good Gator is a dead one!

 

[Epcotgal8]

Originally posted by G&J's Mom


Still won't stop me from looking over my shoulder for them when I get there in two days though. Oh well.

Denise

There you go Denise! There is no need to panic about them but being cautious is the only smart thing to do when you're dealing with any wild animal/reptile. Alligators aren't usually aggressive but then again just because you're in WDW it doesn't mean they have an agreement with the mouse to always behave I posted this story a couple of months ago when the gator discussion got brought up so I won't go into too much detail for those who read it but strange things can happen with gators and they CAN deviate from their "normal" behavior. A gator got into a MAN MADE POND (not a lake) in the MIDDLE of a high priced residential neighborhood where houses are right there on the pond and where kids often play on the shore and in the shallow water. It was even when most alligators had gone to hibernate in the winter! This man was in his back yard throwing a tennis ball for his Labrador Retriever (a big one at that) and it went near the water to fetch the ball and the alligator lunged out and grabbed it in his mouth. The man ran towards it in shock and it whipped around and actually cut his legs a bit with it's tail whip. The poor man watched it drag his dog away. But it COULD have been a toddler because the gator wouldn't care. It was just looking for food. Which brings me to something that peeved me. Mers I believe posted a link to another forum about this subject and someone posted photos of a gator in the water near Frontierland behind the turkey leg stand. One of the photos shows it eating turkey someone threw to him. THAT'S why they are now coming so close to people. I can't believe people think it's a cool thing to feed the gators. It's dangerous. Now they associate those areas with food and when they are hungry they will look for anything small as food. Not good. Off my gator soapbox now

 

[Rhonna]

Just a thought - don't know if it will make anyone feel better but I would bet money that if the alligators are hungry they are by nature going to go after those cute little ducks, bunnies, squirrels, birds, etc. that are all over WDW - including in the parks - before they'd tackle a human. Especially when the humans are there enmasse - one little one (human) all alone might be a different story but from the alligators viewpoint - why go after a huge group of big creatures (us) when there are such easy pickins within their nature diet and right there in or by the water where they are.

Having said that, I wouldn't swim in Bay Lake although I did enjoy River Country years ago and never thought twice about it.

Rhonna

 

[Rhonna]

Forgot to add - I totally agree with Epcotgal8 - feeding the gators is just plain stupid and changes their view of where to get food.

Maybe Disney will have to put out some signs near the waterways: "Don't feed the gators" - of course, that would probably freak out alot of guests who don't even realize they are there.


Btw, I have to say I LOVE Ice Gator! "Oh I've got a cold in my noth...a.ah..ah-choo!"

Rhonna

 

[HHGhost]

Originally posted by Talking Hands
Only good Gator is a dead one!

As someone who works with gators, I take offence to your comment. Alligators are mostly harmless to humans. They do Not see humans as a food source. Furthermore, they are very intelligent, probably more than dogs. At the gatorland zoo, they have trained their gators to come to eat only when called by name. The others wait their turn. Try doing that with 5 hungry dogs. Also, gator mothers are exceptional parents. They take great care of their young. Remember, Florida is their native land. Just leave them alone and they won't bother you.

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by Epcotgal8
No, I'm not a gator expert but from living in an area with them I've got to tell ya, the fact that the gators are coming out in the areas of WDW that I have read of recently and sometimes in broad daylight is not good. Gators usually retreat to the outskirts of lakes and tend to stay away from boats and people. They usually come out at night but usually stay where there's a food source. Of course there are bound to be gators in Fla. and I can definitely see the area over by Disovery Island, Fort Wilderness etc. but sunning itself near the YC and a photo here on DIS the other day of one right near the ferry dock at MK? It makes me wonder if people are feeding them. When they get that comfortable with people some say, "Oh he wouldn't hurt a fly." But if they are accustomed to being fed in an area and is hungry they are not safe to go near so keep a safe distance from them when you see them!

Yes people feed them. At the MK they feed them turkey legs. At the BC villas they feed them anything they have with them in the villas.

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by Talking Hands
Only good Gator is a dead one!

Believe me in Florida you would be better off being concerned about lightening than gators. As your chances of being killed by lightening are alot greater.

 

[Baloo]

If you want to see gators upclose and protected try visiting Gatorland.http://www.gatorland.com/

The Gator Jumperoo is something to see and would surely make you think twice before EVER feeding a wild gator!!!

 

[ILOVEPOOH1]

I agree that the only good gator is a dead one or one in a zoo, they are ugly and scary, exactly why I won't move down south (that and the lightning, I'm scared of storms too)

however, I have eaten gator and it is yummy! tastes like chicken!

but seriously, these are wild animals who do have an important role in the ecosystem. they should be respected. so people need to learn to leave them alone.

 

[My2Girls66]

I'm going to keep my eye out from now on. We've been to Disney 7 times and have never seen a gator there. But I've never really spent time looking- except this last trip we looked around Hourglass Lake next to Pop and didn't see anything. I did see one in a pond off the highway on the way to Sea World in April. I've seen them down off Rt 41 in southwest Fl.
I'm glad to see most of us can and are willing to co-exist with the wildlife.

 

[mmccoy]

During a fishing excursion (Bay Lake) on our recent trip to WDW, the guide told us a gator lived in the area in which we were fishing...the same area the water skiers use. I don't think I'd need skis to stay on top of the water if I saw him lurking in an area I was skiing.

During one trip to Jekyll Island, a beautiful part of coastal Georgia, we spotted a 3-4 foot gator in the swimming pool at the island's marina. They told us DNR was coming out to remove him. Needless to say, he had the pool to himself!

 

[Mimi Q]

I saw one on my trip in May while we were on the Liberty Belle Riverboat at the MK. I had never seen any on our previous trips to WDW.

 

[stevenpensacola]

Need to get Steve Irwin "The Crocodile Hunter" to do a special on the gators of "the World".