"The State of Florida—where tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry—is quick to say that only 17 people have been killed by gators in Florida during the last 58 years. I am suspicious of this number, which somehow never seems to change despite the occasional story about man-eating gators. Media around the world have regurgitated the figure faithfully, but I have suspected for many years that someone is hiding the true body count. Before I get a wave of angry communiqués, or worse, whispers from the knowing who have proof of the “hidden-killer-gator-conspiracy,” I’ll admit the body count is not worth more than another minute on it, but I suspect –without substantiation –that my favorite state, Florida, pegs the body count low to avoid flushing the tourists. The State probably already has a press release with an excuse ready for the day when some pesky journalist figures out the real body count. After all, we are talking about gators; the attacks flash in the news and disappear.
That said, gators are not very dangerous. I’ll swim in Florida lakes and rivers without hesitation, and people should keep coming here. Gators nearly always leave people alone during the daytime, although they definitely will go for a dog. (Note: never tie a dog to a tree next to a lake or river in Florida. Gators are not very dangerous to people, but are nemesis to dogs. I saw a gator eat a cat.)
Down at Lake Alice in Gainesville, where I go often, there is a sign not to feed the gators. Like the grizzlies in Yellowstone: A fed gator is a dead gator. But people still go to Lake Alice and throw marshmallows to the little gators in there. I saw a marshmallow-conditioned gator in there the other day. It was black, and it was right there waiting to be fed, or for a dog or a kid to walk too close. Kids will get eaten. One kid was eaten a few years ago on a lake in Winter Haven precisely where I used to swim."
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Lake Alice is where I saw the Yankee couple teaching their kids to feed gators, and as tree-huggerish as these folks were, I just know that they'll be sneaking back to do more of the same whenever the urge to commune with nature becomes overwhelming. Lake Alice is the home to some old gators that are over 7' long, and while, as Michael has stated, they remain for the most part leery of people, it only takes a moonbat couple a short time to show them how yummy we all really are.
The picture is one taken by Michael while in Mosul, so don't think that the cuddly-gator phenomena is specific to American idjits.
1 comment:
Personally, I wouldn't either. Not that a gator could swallow a great big old lump like me, but who needs the teeth marks?
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