2nd Fatal FL Alligator Attack

[sleuthin4fun]

Thanks, I wasn't sure if I did it correctly.

 

[Dark Knight]

Thanks, I wasn't sure if I did it correctly.

Welcome. It's amazing just how many more fatalities there have been this decade compared to previous ones!

 

[GrayWolf]

After seeing all these pictures of gators and hearing about all these attacks, I think I'm going to rethink my position on our cold Canadian winters - no gators here!!!

I know that alligators are common in Fla. but just yesterday, I received an email from a friend. The email contained 2 shots of an alligator that's taken up residence in Lake Murray, SC; I didn't know they were in SC too.
In the pictures, the gator had a full grown adult deer in it's mouth. The pictures were taken by an overhead news crew. It was one big gator and it moved that deer through the water effortlessly.

Absolutely terrifying to me. After those pictures and all these awful stories, I will never again complain about an eel being in the lake where I swim.

This wolf will stay in bear territory, at least with bears, you stand half a chance as long as you don't get between a mama and her cub. There were 2 yearling bears hanging around my daughter's school this past week. We're still waiting to find out if they've been separated from their mama or if she was hit by a car. Either way, they are going to have to move those bears.

 

[concernedperson]

Then you didn't hear about the black bear that killed a little girl in Tennessee? Don't have a link right now but I am sure someone does. Wild animals are just that.

We are all so vulnerable. Whether it is relationships or cruising in the forests or other wilderness situations. We go forward by the grace of God.

I just pray a lot for everyone as there are no guarantees.No warrenty comes with life.

 

[JBean]

After seeing all these pictures of gators and hearing about all these attacks, I think I'm going to rethink my position on our cold Canadian winters - no gators here!!!

I know that alligators are common in Fla. but just yesterday, I received an email from a friend. The email contained 2 shots of an alligator that's taken up residence in Lake Murray, SC; I didn't know they were in SC too.
In the pictures, the gator had a full grown adult deer in it's mouth. The pictures were taken by an overhead news crew. It was one big gator and it moved that deer through the water effortlessly.

Absolutely terrifying to me. After those pictures and all these awful stories, I will never again complain about an eel being in the lake where I swim.

This wolf will stay in bear territory, at least with bears, you stand half a chance as long as you don't get between a mama and her cub. There were 2 yearling bears hanging around my daughter's school this past week. We're still waiting to find out if they've been separated from their mama or if she was hit by a car. Either way, they are going to have to move those bears.

I have a bobcat in my neighborhood. Just saw him cruising the hillside yesterday. We all seem to peacefully co-exist...for now.

 

[concernedperson]

I have a bobcat in my neighborhood. Just saw him cruising the hillside yesterday. We all seem to peacefully co-exist...for now.

When I moved into my first house in Marietta, Ga, we were co-existing with a bobcat. The shrieks were chilling but he moved on. So, I am amendable to most situations. This 10' gator stuff backs me into a corner.

 

[SewingDeb]

After seeing all these pictures of gators and hearing about all these attacks, I think I'm going to rethink my position on our cold Canadian winters - no gators here!!!

I know that alligators are common in Fla. but just yesterday, I received an email from a friend. The email contained 2 shots of an alligator that's taken up residence in Lake Murray, SC; I didn't know they were in SC too.
In the pictures, the gator had a full grown adult deer in it's mouth. The pictures were taken by an overhead news crew. It was one big gator and it moved that deer through the water effortlessly.

Absolutely terrifying to me. After those pictures and all these awful stories, I will never again complain about an eel being in the lake where I swim.

This wolf will stay in bear territory, at least with bears, you stand half a chance as long as you don't get between a mama and her cub. There were 2 yearling bears hanging around my daughter's school this past week. We're still waiting to find out if they've been separated from their mama or if she was hit by a car. Either way, they are going to have to move those bears.

We have gators in many states. I know they are common in the coastal regions of North and South Carolina, Georgia and probably many other states on the eastern coast of the US.

 

[Shadow205]

To combat Florida alligators causing "Jaws"-like public fears, some say it's awareness, not vigilante action, that's needed.

"It's a great tragedy that there has been loss of human life, but we shouldn't go overboard," Busch Wildlife Sanctuary Director David Hitzig of Jupiter said Friday.
Alligator activity that led to three Florida deaths in recent weeks has operators in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's statewide Nuisance Alligator Hotline working overtime.


"Everyone is real sensitive right now about gators," Call center supervisor Linda Collins said. "People who are not from Florida are not attuned to the natural habitat," Tania DePrima of Jupiter Farms said. "They come from up north, they see a gator, they think it's charming to throw bread down. You see kids in these little boats. They're having fun, they fall over in the water. It's not correct."

<snip>
Conservation Commission biologist Blair Hayman, assistant coordinator of the Nuisance Alligator Program, cited 2,034 phone calls since the first of May compared to 1,703 calls during the same time last year.

more at the link
http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/local_news/article/0,2545,TCP_16736_4712789,00.html

 

[GrayWolf]

Then you didn't hear about the black bear that killed a little girl in Tennessee? Don't have a link right now but I am sure someone does. Wild animals are just that.

We are all so vulnerable. Whether it is relationships or cruising in the forests or other wilderness situations. We go forward by the grace of God.

I just pray a lot for everyone as there are no guarantees.No warrenty comes with life.

Excuse me....

I didn't say that bears NEVER kill humans and I don't need a link proving they do. Sheesh.

What I said was that I felt safer taking my chances with a bear as opposed to an alligator. OK?

I wasn't disputing the danger, I was expressing my own personal preference, if that's allowed, if not, I'll keep my opinions to myself in the future.

I was simply saying..... If some wild animal is looking at me like I'm it's breakfast, I'd rather it be a bear than a gator.

 

[GrayWolf]

We have gators in many states. I know they are common in the coastal regions of North and South Carolina, Georgia and probably many other states on the eastern coast of the US.

Thank you SD...
I've seen them in Fla, and Georgia, but wasn't aware it was common for them to migrate further north than that. I suppose, like other wildlife, when they are pushed from their natural habitat, they can and will adapt to another.
Truly a terrifying creature, IMO.

 

[Nova]

Excuse me....

I didn't say that bears NEVER kill humans and I don't need a link proving they do. Sheesh.

What I said was that I felt safer taking my chances with a bear as opposed to an alligator. OK?

I wasn't disputing the danger, I was expressing my own personal preference, if that's allowed, if not, I'll keep my opinions to myself in the future.

I was simply saying..... If some wild animal is looking at me like I'm it's breakfast, I'd rather it be a bear than a gator.

I think CP was just chatting, GrayWolf, not actually challenging your opinion, much less your right to have one.

Personally I find bears much more frightening, but then I grew up with gators. Though a gator CAN outrun a man on land, he isn't likely to try. But mine is by no means a rational, well-considered opinion, just a case of being more afraid of what I don't know than what I do.

 

[GrayWolf]

I think CP was just chatting, GrayWolf, not actually challenging your opinion, much less your right to have one.

Personally I find bears much more frightening, but then I grew up with gators. Though a gator CAN outrun a man on land, he isn't likely to try. But mine is by no means a rational, well-considered opinion, just a case of being more afraid of what I don't know than what I do.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but the comment, "Then you didn't hear about the black bear that killed a little girl in Tennessee?" sounded a little condescending to me.

No worries.

 

[Nova]

Perhaps I'm wrong, but the comment, "Then you didn't hear about the black bear that killed a little girl in Tennessee?" sounded a little condescending to me.

No worries.

CP can speak for herself and I understand how you read that remark. But I think it's possible it was just an exclamation.

The closest analogy I can think of off the top of my head is the common ejaculation: "You don't mean that!" It isn't a literal charge that the listener is a liar, it's just a form of speech. Of course here, without vocal expression to guide interpretation, it would be easy to read it as an accusation of dishonesty.

 

[concernedperson]

Personally I am scared of gators and bears. The idea of ripping and shredding due to their teeth or claws is frightening to me. The bear killing the little girl recently has stayed on my mind as well as the gator attacks in Florida.

I certainly didn't want to be condescending....sorry if anyone took it that way. But both manners of death are horrific to me.

 

[Nova]

But both manners of death are horrific to me.

Agreed.

Now can anyone help with my irrational fear of raccoons? I'm not actually phobic, but now that they show up in my yard in the dark with some regularity, they scare me.

 

[Dark Knight]

If some wild animal is looking at me like I'm it's breakfast, I'd rather it be a bear than a gator.

I'll take the gator over the bear. I can't outrun a bear, LOL!

 

[Dark Knight]

Agreed.

Now can anyone help with my irrational fear of raccoons? I'm not actually phobic, but now that they show up in my yard in the dark with some regularity, they scare me.

Don't screw with a raccoon, lol! They generally won't attack you, but they can be very mean! And sometimes rabid. Sorry, guess I am not helping with your fear, am I? :crazy:

 

[bakerprune64]

After seeing all these pictures of gators and hearing about all these attacks, I think I'm going to rethink my position on our cold Canadian winters - no gators here!!!

I know that alligators are common in Fla. but just yesterday, I received an email from a friend. The email contained 2 shots of an alligator that's taken up residence in Lake Murray, SC; I didn't know they were in SC too.
In the pictures, the gator had a full grown adult deer in it's mouth. The pictures were taken by an overhead news crew. It was one big gator and it moved that deer through the water effortlessly.

Absolutely terrifying to me. After those pictures and all these awful stories, I will never again complain about an eel being in the lake where I swim.

This wolf will stay in bear territory, at least with bears, you stand half a chance as long as you don't get between a mama and her cub. There were 2 yearling bears hanging around my daughter's school this past week. We're still waiting to find out if they've been separated from their mama or if she was hit by a car. Either way, they are going to have to move those bears.

An alligator can outrun a deer, so it would be safe to say that they can outrun humans. Also gators can leap great distances out of the water, so even if you were on a boat, you would be fair prey.

 

[Dark Knight]

An alligator can outrun a deer, so it would be safe to say that they can outrun humans. Also gators can leap great distances out of the water, so even if you were on a boat, you would be fair prey.

A gator cannot outrun a deer, LOL! They are ambush predators, THAT'S how they snag a deer! :crazy: And she said "staring at her looking for breakfast" so I took the ambush out of the equation.

ETA: http://www.enature.com/expert/expert_show_question.asp?questionID=14232

 

[Nova]

Don't screw with a raccoon, lol! They generally won't attack you, but they can be very mean! And sometimes rabid. Sorry, guess I am not helping with your fear, am I? :crazy:

No, but good advice nonetheless. I've already been warned by my vet that raccoons tend to rip through window screens and tear up household dogs and cats.

They don't seem very afraid of people. They will usually retreat if I clap my hands or shout, but they very quickly come back only to cross on the other side of the pool. My bargain is I don't bother them as long as they stay on their side of the pool, but I don't know if they know about the "agreement."

And man, oh, man, do we grow 'em big out here in the Desert! I guess the little ones git et by the coyotes.

(ETA thanks for the link. Growing up near the Everglades, I was often told heard that an alligator could outrun a man on dry land. But I never heard of one venturing to do so for any distance, and now I guess it wasn't true.)