I got bit on the foot by a snake dead centre in the middle of EPCOT. Then I went and watch Night Ranger play on the free stage, so it worked out.
When I lived in Florida the only wildlife that made me nervous were the locals west of the USF campus and hogs. Gators always seemed dopey and slow. No one should be afraid of them. I could hear the hogs at night outside of my apartment complex. I used to think that if one of them comes out of the bushes comes at me I'd basically shit myself. I'm going to drive my 160,000 mile Volvo up a 14,000ft peak today. Should be fun.
Make no mistake. They can be very dangerous. But they are generally predictable. They do love to eat family pets who happen to come into reach. Small animals and children are basically the same thing to them. They can run 30 mph.
I guess I shouldn't say I view them as soft cuddly puppies. I do have respect for what they're capable of but I'm also not afraid of them. Like most animals, I'm aware when I'm their environment and give them their space.
This one was out sunning himself after a meal. They sit around and do a lot of nothing all day. This one wasn't doing much so I wasn't scared to get close. If it was facing me and hissing, I would have run for my fucking life.
Do they stock the lake? What the hell would it be eating if not? (Birds? Frogs?) I'm wondering if it took the kid because it was starving and then figured out it was to large for a gator of that size to eat. I've never been around gators other then zoos, and quite honestly they strike me as mindless eating machines from the prehistoric ages. It wouldn't bother me in the least to see them eradicated.
They are in fact modern dinosaurs. A lot of times, they don't eat what they catch right away. They will bury or hide it for a bit to keep it safe. Typically, they drown their food if it's big enough. Then come back later. They will eat frogs and birds, no issue. Crocodiles with also drown their food but do that spin thing at the same time. They might stock the lakes with some fish. But after a while, stocking isn't necessary.
Just like a bear, basically the gator was out grocery shopping to fill the pantry. That makes sense then why the kid wasn't eaten.
Pretty much. However, if you ever want to go for an airboat ride in the Everglades, and you do it through the local guides, they will sometimes bring out some raw chicken to feed them so you can see them eat. In those situations, they just eat them right there.
It's a wonder I was never eaten by a gator myself. I lived in Florida from 1973 - 1977 when I was between 3 and 6. We lived right behind a canal and there were ALWAYS gators hovering around. One of them I used to call my pet because he would hide in the culvert. I can't tell you how many times I stuck my head over that thing looking in on it or how many times the teenage neighbor would bring a package of chicken and try to fucking hand feed it. They were always out sunning themselves and my friends and I played on the banks of that canal almost daily. Not once, to my memory anyway, did one even come close to me on purpose. I used to see them eat birds all the time.
Apparently this father and son were walking in shallow water when the kid was taken. I can't imagine wading in a pond in Florida at night with my two year old son if I had one or even by myself.
And apparently stupid. I don't care if you're from Nebraska. Walking in water at night is always a bad idea. Doesn't matter if its on a beach in southern California, or pond in Michigan. Something in that person should've told them not to do that.
Alligators can go a long time without eating. Like, years. So if this guy had that lake all to himself he was probably just alpha male-ing the fuck out of it. Or there are way more in there than they thought. Relevant: Yeah you couldn't get me to swim in the ocean at night. Out of your goddamned mind. Or even a lake. I'm more scared of water moccasins anyway.
Didn't one of the news reports say they euthanized 4 other gators there trying to look for clues of the kid? I'm assuming that was slicing open the belly to look for sneakers. ETA: Here's the link about the 4. http://www.wjhg.com/content/news/RE...en-Seas-Lagoon-at-Disney-World-383062121.html Yes, they were from Nebraska, and yes, it was at night. But, the location of the kid snatch was very "resort-y" in appearance, close by the pool, and wasn't like it was some back swamp lagoon.
I guess they didn't get the "If there's water in Florida there's probably gators in it" memo. After growing up and living here where there's bodies of water everywhere, I'm glad those fuckers don't migrate North. They would make our canoeing trips a lot more interesting, that's for sure.
Florida. No thanks. I like beaches. And I like being on beaches. But muddy anywhere water I can't see? Nope. I'm sad they killed all the gators though.
Honestly, I have not given enough of a shit to read anything relating to the case. Caught a couple minutes of the news while I was on the treadmill at the gym. I'm of the mind these people were completely ignorant to everything including the warning signs. Literal warning signs that were apparently posted. So, I'm sure they will get several million in the settlement for their trouble. I kind of feel bad for Disney. Aside from walling everything off or periodically trapping/killing every living thing in the lake there is nothing they can do. They look like assholes if they make any rebuttals. Then again you cannot expect your guests to be wildlife experts. In some dank lair Mike Eisner is furiously masturbating and laughing mad scientist-like.
You can bet that memo will be attached to everything there in the future. I mean, the sign says "No Swimming," but there's a dad playing with a little kid right near the water in this random photo. There are lounge chairs set up and a fire pit. You think he thought twice about it if she decided to rinse the sand off her toes? I'm not saying Disney is at fault, I'm just not willing to call the parents stupid.