Just Spotted A Gator!

[Feralpeg]

DD and I were driving through our housing development on our way home when DD told me she thought she saw an alligator. Now, we've lived in this development for two years and hadn't seen any alligators, so I was a bit skeptical.

I turned around and went back. She was right! Swimming along near the shore of our lake was an alligator. It was about 5 foot long. Pretty cool! Now, I feel like I'm living in Florida!

 

[luvflorida]

Now that would just fascinate me! I've always had a love/hate relationship with gators.

They've always intrigued me and I'm not even sure why. When we drove across "Alligator Alley" on our way to the Keys I almost drove off the road looking for gators. Finally my husband insisted that he drive while I look for gators. On one trip to Florida I managed to convince the family to spend a day at Gatorland. I loved it!

I've taken numerous pictures of gators that I've seen in Florida and some that I've seen at an Audubon Swamp in Charleston, SC. DD15 and I were walking on wooden planks that wound through the swamp and she just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible while I kept stopping to take pictures!

On the one hand, I know gators are dangerous and can be deadly, yet on the other hand, I find them extremely interesting. Weird, I know.

 

[kerrynic78]

Our development has a ton of them, everywhere there is water, there is a gator. There is one right by our house that the neighbors have named Gary, we stay away from him and he stays away from us!

 

[OhMari]

Wow, I saw a woodchuck the other day, but I think if I saw a gator, I would be scared.

 

[christineann]

Gators are very dangerous to dogs, cats and small children who may venture near the pond.

 

[bettyann29]

That would be cool.. but I would be scared to death..

 

[Feralpeg]

That would be cool.. but I would be scared to death..

He was out about 20 feet from the dock. If he'd been any closer, we'd not have gone onto the dock.

I wish I'd had my camera with me, but he would have been gone by the time I got home to get it. He was swimming toward the other shoreline.

We never walk our dog near the water and are always careful to stay on the sidewalk away from the edge of the lake. We've heard too many stories of gators grabbing pets and people. A gator got a teenage boy by the leg the other day. He was dangling his feet in the water of a lake. He was smart enough to gouge the gator in the eye and it let him go. He was lucky!

 

[ilovepcot]

Gators are very dangerous to dogs, cats and small children who may venture near the pond.

Absolutely! Even when pets are on a leash, please don't venture too close to the water. A gator can leap from the water and grab a pet, be back under the water and you'll only hear a splash. Happens way too often.

 

[eeyore45]

Before my parents moved to Florida, they rented for the winter - Dad, being dad, was outside working on the yard, and the house had some loose things... he heard this lady next door yelling, but he didnt think he knew anyone... the yelling got louder, so he turned to see what the commotion was about... an alligator had left the canal and was walking across the street!! Dad became ever so much more cautious after that!!

 

[EEYOREMAMA]

We have one in the lake behind our house, too. Considering we live one block from a very busy rode, must be one tough gator

The best alligator sighting I've had is when we were leaving the Beach Club Resort, through the Villas, there were two very toothy gators smiling up at us. Quite large and quite intimidating. I have a bit of a gator-phobia and high-tailed it out of there. Before I left, I told them that I was a local, not a tourist. I don't think they cared.

The Florida lifestyle. I don't think that this is what Beall's had in mind for their slogan.

 

[paigevz]

That's just scary! Our mountain lions stay well away from inhabited areas. Only the coyotes come around, but they will take pets too, though they go for the garbage first.

 

[Amity 3]

there's a couple around our backyard lake, but we hardly ever see them. my wife works in Lakeland, and we see dozens in those lakes near her office.

I love seeing them in a natural surrounding, we canoe by them and just observe.

 

[slo]

All I can say is ----- YIKES!!!!!!

 

[marlasmom]

We are a couple of blocks from the lake. We had one in the driveway of the house one door down from us. It was a baby - about 4 feet long and scrawny. Animal Control came for it - taped its mouth and paws and then invited the onlookers to pet it. Of course the only ones who did were my dd and grandson. I always look at the lakes, but have never seen one. My dd says she saw one in a shopping center in Poiciana and the animal control officer says they have been in the streets in downtown Winter Haven. I rejected living on a lakefront just because of gators - although I'd otherwise love to.

 

[MsDisney23]

I would not like that at all! I hope I don't see while in sunny Florida!

 

[smilie]

My cousin lives in Florida. She said she's gone outside in the morning and found one in her back yard.

 

[golfgal]

We have some viscious rabbits in are yard. They are eating our plants!!!!

We were visiting some friends when we were in Orlando last summer (they live in Windemere too, I think). He was telling us a story about going fishing with a friend shortly after they moved from MN to Florida and how amazed he was that no one else was on the lake. Then they noticed a few "bumps" in the water, then a few more, and more, and more. Turns out they were in a very alligator infested lake and didn't know it. They got their boat out of there pretty fast.

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

Aloha!
Not to freak anyone out, but watched 'Hunter/Hunted' on NGC and they did an hour on SANIBEL ISLAND and gator issues...

The LAST fatality (after a series of attacks) that caused them to revise their very liberal gator laws involved a landscaper who they believe was working near a house a good 15 ft from the nearest lake. A 6-ft gator came ALL THAT WAY up the banks and grabbed her by the waist to drag her into the water. She was FINALLY rescued (her head had remained above water) but had suffered SEVERE injury...She sadly died mostly because of a bacteria released into her system by gator.

I LOVE and respect ALL wildlife (and STILL dream of living in FLA) but no one should underestimate how fast a gator can move or what a hungry, thirsty, or desperate animal might do!

~rose~

 

[Disney Doll]

I saw a gator once(a baby...maybe about 2-3 feet long) right near the dock at MGM. The CM working the boat said that they had already called their animal control people to come and get it, and they relocate them to water on WDW property that is not near where guests go.

I guess if you live in FL, you gotta expect to see a gtor once in a while.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Before I left, I told them that I was a local, not a tourist. I don't think they cared.

We Floridians taste better - more spice!