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Alligator Drags 2 yo into Water Near Disney

americanwoman said:
Being from Nebraska myself I sure don't. I am not at all familiar with actual Gators and probably wouldn't fully understand the risk either. Such a tragedy.
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But I bet you know about local dangers posed by tornados.

You are right, it is an awful tragedy. The fact that the family was not engaged in high risk activity (Hey, lets go... cave diving! or Night time wading hike in the 'glades) makes it even more tragic.
 
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americanwoman said:
I have to admit, I'm don't know to much about gators and crocs. Of course I've seen videos and watch survivor type shows where they're always on the lookout for them but like you I'm not familiar with habits and stuff. I probably should learn more but again being from Nebraska, it's not something I really think about.
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What's funny is in the same Safety training I mentioned, I told people that people didn't seem to understand gators. I mean, I'm from Vermont and we had mountain goats not gators but when I saw a giant reptile with lots of teeth I assumed from the beginning that they were dangerous (though if you are sneak attacked by them I can see where you wouldn't know what was happening). I had actually had tourists ask me if the gators around the Space Center are tame. Which makes me lol to this day.
 
Cryptic said:
But I bet you know about local dangers posed by tornados. It is an awful tragedy. The fact that the family was not engaged in foolish, or high risk activity (Hey, lets go... cave diving!) makes it even more tragic.
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This is a good point re local dangers. I grew up in California and moved to the midwest 10 years ago. I was not familiar with the dangers of tornadoes, and didn't take them seriously at first.

On the other hand, I have educated some midwesterners about earthquakes, something I was familiar with and they weren't.
 
Yeah, I am very surprised that Disney didn't have more signs and warnings posted. They cater to people from all over the world, most have no idea of the dangers from Gators.

About 12 years ago we stayed at a hotel about 10 miles from Disney. There was a pond in the back, and the hotel had signs, pictures, everything back there saying no swimming, no wading, do not go in or near the water. It was a pet friendly hotel, they even had warnings about letting your dog in or near the water.

I'm surprised Disney was so lax.
 
Horrible horrible news. My heart goes out to the parents.
 
SenorXm/Sirius said:
Yeah, I am very surprised that Disney didn't have more signs and warnings posted. They cater to people from all over the world, most have no idea of the dangers from Gators.

About 12 years ago we stayed at a hotel about 10 miles from Disney. There was a pond in the back, and the hotel had signs, pictures, everything back there saying no swimming, no wading, do not go in or near the water. It was a pet friendly hotel, they even had warnings about letting your dog in or near the water.

I'm surprised Disney was so lax.
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On top of this why only relocate/remove gators that are near "crowded areas" instead of just have a plan to relocate any gator found near the park or its resorts (or on the actual properties)? Granted, this might be the case and nobody had spotted this particular gator to remove it but it seems less than straight forward compared to most of Disney's (usually very particular and well planned) policies.
But this is a news article to so there might be a bit of telephone game as to what the actual wildlife policy is.
 
shrubnose said:
How do you prevent volcanic eruptions,earthquakes,hurricanes and tornadoes?

Fill us in.
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The comment I was responding to was about consequences from human decisions. Context is important. Without context we get sidetracked with utterly useless crap like what you posted here.

But... way to be purposely obtuse. You have contributed absolutely nothing to the conversation. :thumbs:
 
Ntharotep said:
What's funny is in the same Safety training I mentioned, I told people that people didn't seem to understand gators. I mean, I'm from Vermont and we had mountain goats not gators but when I saw a giant reptile with lots of teeth I assumed from the beginning that they were dangerous (though if you are sneak attacked by them I can see where you wouldn't know what was happening). I had actually had tourists ask me if the gators around the Space Center are tame. Which makes me lol to this day.
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Haha I don't know much but I do know they are not tame. I saw that video recently of that big ass one strolling the golf course like it owned it and there is no way in hell I'd get anywhere near that beast.
 
radcen said:
The comment I was responding to was about consequences from human decisions. Context is important. Without context we get sidetracked with utterly useless crap like what you posted here.

But... way to be purposely obtuse.
You have contributed absolutely nothing to the conversation.
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 :thumbs:
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I have shown that you are wrong and some things can't be prevented.

If you have proof otherwise let's see it.

:lol:
 
I heard it was a radical Muslim Ali-gator who was a conflicted vegetarian lashing out.

(Too soon?)
 
Ntharotep said:
What's funny is in the same Safety training I mentioned, I told people that people didn't seem to understand gators. I mean, I'm from Vermont and we had mountain goats not gators but when I saw a giant reptile with lots of teeth I assumed from the beginning that they were dangerous (though if you are sneak attacked by them I can see where you wouldn't know what was happening). I had actually had tourists ask me if the gators around the Space Center are tame. Which makes me lol to this day.
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Same thing in my area but with black bears. The Cades Cove loop is popular and has many black bears. One time biking around it we came up on a mother posing her little boy (about 10yo or so) in front of a momma bear with cub - perhaps 25 feet away, down a small hill. Me and others calmly told her it was a wild animal, and what she was doing was dangerous as heck, and she looked at us like we were nuts and kept snapping photos. Another time (among several like it) we watched a dozen people get out of their cars to approach cubs in a tree, with momma bear nearby, to take pictures of the cute little guys, oblivious that if momma bear ever thinks they're a threat, she'll kill to protect them without hesitating. Thankfully, rangers are nearly always close by and both situations resolved when they came up on the scene and evacuated everyone back to 50 yards or more.

Bottom line is it's really not obvious to those not used to dealing with wild animals that they're dangerous - many people clearly think 'used to seeing humans = tame and harmless.' I'm amazed Disney didn't have more explicit warnings about WHY there is no swimming in gator infested waters.
 
JasperL said:
Same thing in my area but with black bears. .
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About 20 years ago me and friends were tent camping in the Adirondacks. 1 night we heard a noises. Turns out some people from NYC who were 6-7 sites from us purposely left food out to attract bears so they could take the bear's pictures. The bears showed up, and ripped their campsite apart. Tent, canape, food containers, pretty much everything. Fortunately for the campers and the campers in neighboring sites the bears were just interested in the free food left out for them. No one was hurt.

The Rangers were NOT sympathetic. They threw the campers out.

I doubt the campers knew of the dangers of trying to lure bears to their campsite to take their pictures. Being from NYC they had no idea of the dangers.
 
SenorXm/Sirius said:
About 20 years ago me and friends were tent camping in the Adirondacks. 1 night we heard a noises. Turns out some people from NYC who were 6-7 sites from us purposely left food out to attract bears so they could take the bear's pictures. The bears showed up, and ripped their campsite apart. Tent, canape, food containers, pretty much everything. Fortunately for the campers and the campers in neighboring sites the bears were just interested in the free food left out for them. No one was hurt.

The Rangers were NOT sympathetic. They threw the campers out.

I doubt the campers knew of the dangers of trying to lure bears to their campsite to take their pictures. Being from NYC they had no idea of the dangers.
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People can be ignorant.

Another recent Yellowstone incident was idiots put a baby bison in their vehicle because it looked cold and took it to the ranger station... I mean WTF. Unfortunately the calf couldn't be reunited with the mother (they reject them after coming in contact with people) and it had to be put down.

Yellowstone tourists put bison calf in car because they're worried it's cold - East Idaho News

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Probably about 10 gorings per year too and the park hands out literature and has signs NOT TO APPROACH THE WILDLIFE. People still do.
 
SenorXm/Sirius said:
About 20 years ago me and friends were tent camping in the Adirondacks. 1 night we heard a noises. Turns out some people from NYC who were 6-7 sites from us purposely left food out to attract bears so they could take the bear's pictures. The bears showed up, and ripped their campsite apart. Tent, canape, food containers, pretty much everything. Fortunately for the campers and the campers in neighboring sites the bears were just interested in the free food left out for them. No one was hurt.

The Rangers were NOT sympathetic. They threw the campers out.

I doubt the campers knew of the dangers of trying to lure bears to their campsite to take their pictures. Being from NYC they had no idea of the dangers.
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In a way you can't blame the people, they're just ignorant.

One thing they've done here to TRY to stop feeding of the animals are signs that say things like, "A fed bear is a dead bear" and similar. When we get visitors, that's one point I always make clear - don't feed wild animals unless you want to see them killed when they start demanding food from others....
 
Winchester said:
People can be ignorant.

Another recent Yellowstone incident was idiots put a baby bison in their vehicle because it looked cold and took it to the ranger station... I mean WTF. Unfortunately the calf couldn't be reunited with the mother (they reject them after coming in contact with people) and it had to be put down.

Probably about 10 gorings per year too and the park hands out literature and has signs NOT TO APPROACH THE WILDLIFE. People still do.
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When we visited years ago in one of the welcome centers they had a video on a loop showing a bison throwing a picture taking tourist head over heels about 30-40 feet. It made an immediate impression on me!
 
What a horrible tradgedy....those poor parents.

I just can't help but wonder why Disney would hold an event like that so close to the water at night....and knowing that alligators were in there. The article said the parents had another baby in a portable crib just a few yards away from the water. I can't help but think that Disney should've known better and taken better precautions for their guests.
 
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JasperL said:
When we visited years ago in one of the welcome centers they had a video on a loop showing a bison throwing a picture taking tourist head over heels about 30-40 feet. It made an immediate impression on me!
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We had a buffalo charge our car as we were driving along the main road in Yellowstone. It just barreled right out the trees and came straight at us and stopped short right at the passenger window. It was wild!!!!
 
JasperL said:
In a way you can't blame the people, they're just ignorant.

One thing they've done here to TRY to stop feeding of the animals are signs that say things like, "A fed bear is a dead bear" and similar. When we get visitors, that's one point I always make clear - don't feed wild animals unless you want to see them killed when they start demanding food from others....
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Right, but I feel like we're (generic "we") are getting dumber to the ways of the world the more we become urbanized.
 
Moot said:
What a horrible tradgedy....those poor parents.

I just can't help but wonder why Disney would hold an event like that so close to the water at night....and knowing that alligators were in there. The article said the parents had another baby in a portable crib just a few yards away from the water. I can't help but think that Disney should've known better and taken better precautions for their guests.
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From what I've read, this is only the second time in WDW's 45-year history that a guest has been attacked by a gator (and the first fatality).

The last time it occurred it was at the Fort Wilderness resort 30 years ago.

Although this is a tragedy, with that kind of alligator attack safety record you've kind to go to figure that WDW is doing something right given their millions of visitors a year in the heart of alligator country.

There's only so much anyone can do.

The lakes and swamps of Florida are the alligators' natural habitat.

At the end of the day we're just visitors there.
 
Samhain said:
so horrible. Can't imagine what the parents are feeling right now.

Unfortunately, this was entirely preventable.
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Sure, we could eradicate the beasts, and probably should.
 
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