Alligator Pulls Child Into Water

[rogue06]

The body was recovered, intact. He was drowned.

[DesertBerean]

The body has been officially identified. Here's a more complete story.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/15/us/all...isney-florida/

[jpholding]

Mrs H reminded me of something: Gators don't get that aggressive with humans UNLESS HUMANS HAVE BEEN FEEDING THEM.

The press conference we just watched had the local sheriff saying there were no reports of people feeding gators at the resort. I'd imagine not, since I don't expect people who do that will self-report it. But gators will normally avoid humans and be afraid of them -- just like bears or many other animals will be -- unless people are doing things to reduce that fear.

Sadly it's most often people from out of state who will feed gators.

The press here made some issue of the fact that there were indeed only signs warning against swimming, not against gators specifically. I know that at a couple of the parks we visit, there are signs near lakes warning against feeding gators, like this one, which I have seen personally:

do-not-feed-alligators-sign-k-9824.gif

Yes -- there's even a state law against it. This story is an example of why. And knowing Disney, they didn't put up signs this specific out of fear it would make people less "happy" on their Disney vacation.

[jpholding]

372.667 Feeding or enticement of alligators or crocodiles unlawful; penalty.--

(1) No person shall intentionally feed, or entice with feed, any wild American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) or American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). However, the provisions of this section shall not apply to:

(a) Those persons feeding alligators or crocodiles maintained in protected captivity for educational, scientific, commercial, or recreational purposes.

(b) Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission personnel, persons licensed or otherwise authorized by the commission, or county or municipal animal control personnel when relocating alligators or crocodiles by baiting or enticement.

(2) For the purposes of this section, the term "maintained in protected captivity" means held in captivity under a permit issued by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission pursuant to s. 372.921 or s. 372.922.

(3) Any person who violates this section commits a Level Two violation under s. 372.83.

That's a second degree misdemeanor.

Here's another sign I've seen before...

ZKzZjkh.jpg

[DesertBerean]

Wow, that's a pretty stiff penalty, but I imagine we all have similar laws where people tend to think it's cute to feed wildlife...

[Christianbookworm]

Wow, that's a pretty stiff penalty, but I imagine we all have similar laws where people tend to think it's cute to feed wildlife...

Considering that the consequences of feeding alligators is that humans may become alligator chow...

[DesertBerean]

...or bear chow. For some reason people don't try to feed mountain lions but I guess everybody already know cats hurt you a lot.

[jpholding]

Wow, that's a pretty stiff penalty, but I imagine we all have similar laws where people tend to think it's cute to feed wildlife...

Heh, yeah. Around here they probably think it's funny to feed gators because they seem like living trash cans that will swallow anything you throw at them. We saw that sort of sentiment at a restaurant in Georgia a few months ago....

http://thecopperpigbbq.com/

While we were there Mrs H warned someone that this "feed the gators" thing could encourage people to think it was OK to do the same thing anywhere. By FL law the Copper Pig's exhibit would probably be illegal....or maybe they'd stick it under "recreational" in section (a).

[KingsGambit]

That reminds me of the bison herd they keep in Hays, Kansas. They had problems with tourists to whom it didn't occur that it may be a bad idea to taunt an 800 pound animal that naturally charges.

[rogue06]

...or bear chow. For some reason people don't try to feed mountain lions but I guess everybody already know cats hurt you a lot.

This reminds me of the significant number of people that are killed and injured trying to approach bison and moose thinking they're harmless and cute and want to take a picture next to them. I think the notorious line from Jurassic Park parodied so well below

To enbiggenate clickify on
the imagification
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then clickify on the
resulting imagification

[Jedidiah]

Had a fellow out near Glennallen, Alaska who was mauled when he tried to pet a black bear rummaging through the trash.

[fm93]

Heh, yeah. Around here they probably think it's funny to feed gators because they seem like living trash cans that will swallow anything you throw at them. We saw that sort of sentiment at a restaurant in Georgia a few months ago....

http://thecopperpigbbq.com/

While we were there Mrs H warned someone that this "feed the gators" thing could encourage people to think it was OK to do the same thing anywhere. By FL law the Copper Pig's exhibit would probably be illegal....or maybe they'd stick it under "recreational" in section (a).

We here in the rest of Georgia like to pretend that Brunswick doesn't exist. You see why.

[DesertBerean]

Had a fellow out near Glennallen, Alaska who was mauled when he tried to pet a black bear rummaging through the trash.

[jpholding]

We here in the rest of Georgia like to pretend that Brunswick doesn't exist. You see why.

Lousy stew?

[jpholding]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/16/us/air...disney-gators/

Very good item here by an airboat operator that puts the dangers in perspective.