Why do we tolerate alligators in populated areas?
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Anonymous
| In the 70’s they were on the endangered species list. |
Anonymous
| Idk why don't we kill all the bears? Or deer since they statistically cause the most damage? |
Anonymous
| The gators were there first. |
Anonymous
| Can someone explain why the gators are in the man-made ponds? I get that they travel and wander into them, but if it's man-made, then assuming they don't put fish in them, what are they eating that they like to stay there? |
Anonymous
Bambi. |
Anonymous
I believe it is common practice to add fish to man-made ponds to help with bugs and algae. |
Anonymous
Fish get into ponds without any help whatsoever from humans. Fish eggs are sticky. When wading birds like herons or waterfowl walk through shallow water where fish (particularly sunfish, bass and various minnow species) lay eggs or build nests on the bottom for their eggs, some of the eggs stick to the bird’s feet, and when the birds fly to other ponds, some of the fish eggs stuck to their feet will come off and then hatch in the “new” pond. You can dig a pond in the middle of a field, not connected to any other body of water, and within a few years it will have fish it in. Nature takes care of it. |
Anonymous
| "We" don't. Only Florida does. |
Anonymous
And now there are more alligators in Florida than existed when DeLeon explored landed there. |
Anonymous
| Why do alligators tolerate people in their areas? |
Anonymous
Thank you for saying this. We are the ones taking over their space and should learn to adapt to them. My neighborhood is near the river and we have lots of wildlife, which I love. Though some of my neighbors complain about the Fox and coyote and ask if we can trap and move them. Why would you move to an area with wildlife if you don’t want to deal with the wildlife? It’s ridiculous! Install a tall fence and put chicken wire on the bottom if you don’t want them in your yard! |
Anonymous
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If the species is potentially lethal to humans and not critically endangered, then humans should have a self-defense right to kill one if they believe their life is in danger. Families should have the right to protect their properties with fences, etc, to allow pets and children to walk freely in their yards. The issue then becomes killing a gator, or other apex predator. It's not that easy! |
Anonymous
They are not a problem. It’s a bunch of media hype. Dogs are a bigger problem. According to the Florida Department of Health, each year an average of over 600 Floridians are hospitalized and 2 deaths occur from injuries sustained from a dog bite. Most incidents occur in the home or on the property the dog resides at, affecting people the dog is already familiar with. Vs The Florida conservation commission said in November 2021 there were 442 unprovoked alligator bites in Florida from 1948 to 2021, averaging six a year. Of those bites, 26 were fatal, meaning there was one fatal injury nearly every three years in the state |
Anonymous
You are basically describing stand your ground. Humans are the most dangerous predators. |
Anonymous
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I grew up in South Florida and nearly always had an alligator in my pond or canal in my backyard. They are nbd. I have even happened across some by accident in my yard. They don't attack humans (also, everyone knows to run in a zig zag). Hell even my dorm at University of Florida had gators in all the dorm ponds. I have heard of them eating dogs who were tied up on stakes in the backyard, but that's basically animal cruelty and homeowner negligence.
The county would trap them when they were over 5ft. |