Why do we tolerate alligators in populated areas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Story on the radio about an alligator holding a family hostage in Hilton Head requiring hours of local authorities time before it finally moved away.

Why not kill that one gator?

Because they rarely cause any problems. The gator did not hold anyone hostage. It was on their porch and left after everyone turned out the lights. Alligator move around at night specially if it rains. Looks like this one went the wrong way and got stuck on the porch. All the lights kept it there and it was a big show. It did not follow the people to the house or even know people where there.

They are just not that aggressive and they do not see people as food. I have been around them a lot as a little kid through adulthood. Most of the time they just sit there and will move into the water if you get close. The only time there are problem is when people feed the gator. It looks cool and people have fun but an alligator that has been feed will follow people around looking for food. These alligators have been conditioned to go after any splash around people because they think it is food.

because they are ambush predators.......they are always hunting. stop with foolishness.

[Anonymous]

My aunt and uncle live in the neighborhood this happened in on HHI. They, and all their neighbors, have a healthy respect and fear of the gators. They would never want one of their gators killed, but they also don't actively go near them or feed them.

[Anonymous]

Alligators are native to only the United States, Mexico, and China. People are native everywhere and have taken up the natural habitat of many animals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
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!

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

WHAAT! Stop it with your FACTS and critical thinking.

I know. It's like sharks. People are terrified of being bitten even though fewer than 20 people a year are bitten by sharks in the US. But stampede toward NYC where 1600 people are bitten each year. By other people!

Citation please.

[Anonymous]

There were not that many alligators when people began living populating Florida heavily. The population exploded a few decades ago. There was a large cull I think at one point. To manage it.

Usually, depending on state and local laws, alligators can be removed / relocated once they get to be a certain size. I used to see them often. A jogging path I frequented, 2 alligators would pop up, along a 2 mile stretch. One alligator on one end, one on the other. I was worried, learned, this happens every few months. As soon as they got big enough, nearby residents would call them in, and wildlife people would come get it. 3 months later, it started again. Obviously a mom or two lived further out in the water. The smaller gators would be a threat to a pet, but that’s among the reasons there are leash laws.

Im here all night for more alligator info, lol. But I don’t know about NC/SC laws and customs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There were not that many alligators when people began living populating Florida heavily. The population exploded a few decades ago. There was a large cull I think at one point. To manage it.

Usually, depending on state and local laws, alligators can be removed / relocated once they get to be a certain size. I used to see them often. A jogging path I frequented, 2 alligators would pop up, along a 2 mile stretch. One alligator on one end, one on the other. I was worried, learned, this happens every few months. As soon as they got big enough, nearby residents would call them in, and wildlife people would come get it. 3 months later, it started again. Obviously a mom or two lived further out in the water. The smaller gators would be a threat to a pet, but that’s among the reasons there are leash laws.

Im here all night for more alligator info, lol. But I don’t know about NC/SC laws and customs.

I also got used to recognizing the shape. Locals know about small alligators while they are not a threat. They’ll establish pretty predictable behavior while they are small. Have them removed before they are a real threat.

In FL, a nuisance alligator can be removed and killed, or removed and rescued. A nuisance would be one who is adapting to humans, or one who has been fed by humans (illegal).

Alligators are naturally lazy hunters. They don’t seek people. Unless ^ nuisance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

I believe it is common practice to add fish to man-made ponds to help with bugs and algae.

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.

My elderly (African American) great grandmother used to think that fish flew at night, because how else could they appear in puddles and ponds by themselves. It's funny to me how people back then made up answers to questions that they had no idea about.

Just goes to show you there’s always a little bit of truth in folklore, no matter how outlandish it sounds.


Some fish such as certain species of Asian catfish, as well as American eels, can actually crawl or slither (eels) across wet grass or mud during rainstorms and relocate into other bodies of water that are isolated. Eels in particular can move hundreds of yards, sometimes nearly a mile, across wet open ground to get to a pond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

I believe it is common practice to add fish to man-made ponds to help with bugs and algae.

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.

My elderly (African American) great grandmother used to think that fish flew at night, because how else could they appear in puddles and ponds by themselves. It's funny to me how people back then made up answers to questions that they had no idea about.

Love that story—thank you for sharing! 🤗

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm not sure whether an effort to kill alligators is a good idea, but after hearing about several recent incidents, it does strike me as strange that the south is filled with retirement communities with numerous ponds that place elderly people in close proximity to alligators. That doesn't seem right.

Have you never been to Florida? It’s basically one big wetland. Of course their are ponds everywhere.

The alligators were there first and there are too many old people anyway.

Funny! And true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm not sure whether an effort to kill alligators is a good idea, but after hearing about several recent incidents, it does strike me as strange that the south is filled with retirement communities with numerous ponds that place elderly people in close proximity to alligators. That doesn't seem right.

The alligators were there first and there are too many old people anyway.

Good. Means Biden won’t be campaigning in Florida!

[Anonymous]

Dogs kill more people than gators.

[Anonymous]

I am absolutely terrified of alligators 🐊 which is why I could NEVER call Florida home.

I went there only once to visit Disneyworld and two weeks later a little boy was killed by one at a resort we stayed next to.

Being a non-native, I could see myself allowing my child to be in the water there since I wouldn’t think an alligator would reside in such a resort atmosphere.

Plus during that time the humidity was so unbearable - I would have put my feet into the water to cool off.

[Anonymous]

I am old but still would not know the difference between an alligator and a crocodile.

Even on my Apple tablet they both have the same emoji!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alligators are native to only the United States, Mexico, and China. People are native everywhere and have taken up the natural habitat of many animals.

If people are native everywhere, then everywhere is our natural habitat.

[Anonymous]

Wonder if the real estate will go down after hurricane season? Waiting for all the people who paid exorbitant prices for homes in HH, FL and coastal areas to survive pythons, alligators, bugs, and hurricane season. Or all they all fleeing back to NJ & NY?