New resident at Peacock Springs - July 2010

[Cave Ranger]

I like the topic of this thread. I find it amusing at the way so many people get so worked up about (insert your favorite predator here) attacks on people. It gets hyped to the point that many people think that all of these animals are evil and out to get them. In the rare and often tragic instances this occurs the media has a field day with the story and everyone who reads about it is horrified and some swear they will never (insert favorite outdoor activity here) ever or again. In these same media outlets, every day you can find a multitude of not so rare, horrible, violent and depraved acts committed against people by their own species some of which are so awful that anything an Alligator would do to you seems tame in comparison.
Now I'm all for due diligence and being careful but the threat that anything other than a very large gator ( I heard the Bonnet mama gator would qualify) poses to an adult human is pretty small. The little guy in the picture wouldn't even give me a pause for thought except for maybe to try and get close enough for a picture without spooking him or.......her. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE BABY!!!

[Puttzer]

I like the topic of this thread. I find it amusing at the way so many people get so worked up about (insert your favorite predator here) attacks on people. It gets hyped to the point that many people think that all of these animals are evil and out to get them. In the rare and often tragic instances this occurs the media has a field day with the story and everyone who reads about it is horrified and some swear they will never (insert favorite outdoor activity here) ever or again. In these same media outlets, every day you can find a multitude of not so rare, horrible, violent and depraved acts committed against people by their own species some of which are so awful that anything an Alligator would do to you seems tame in comparison.
Now I'm all for due diligence and being careful but the threat that anything other than a very large gator ( I heard the Bonnet mama gator would qualify) poses to an adult human is pretty small. The little guy in the picture wouldn't even give me a pause for thought except for maybe to try and get close enough for a picture without spooking him or.......her. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE BABY!!!

I think we all appreciate the low risk of being attacked by this cute little gator.
Although, one of my employees was telling me today about the time her son was cutting the grass in their back yard and a 4' alligator started chasing him and
there are recorded deaths from attacks by gators only 7' long and
a State park Ranger with 30 years of experience dealing with gators told me he "wouldn't play in water with a 4' gator in it"
And when we do have algae blooms in PSSP creating really poor viz, should we be playing in the water?

This was copied from the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program:

What is a nuisance alligator? Generally, alligators may be considered a nuisance when they are at least 4 feet in length and pose a threat to people or their pets or property. Alligators less than 4 feet in length are naturally fearful of people and are not generally capable of eating anything larger than a small turtle. They eat small fish, frogs, and other small animals. They are too small to be a threat to even small pets and pose no threat to people.

They are typically not dangerous to people unless someone attempts to handle them. Also, they are common in Florida, and the mere presence of a small alligator is not cause for concern, even when they turn up in places where people may not expect to see them such as retention ponds and drainage ditches.

However, occasionally alligators less than 4 feet in length are legitimate problems and must be addressed. If an alligator less than four feet in length approaches people, does not retreat if approached, or is in a location that is not natural, call the Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).

[Cave Ranger]

All good points to be sure but I guess I was just trying to point out how many humans are killed or maimed by other humans as compaired to alligators all other predators combined and it seems that we are more accepting of that fact. I guess we expect that sort of behavior from our "more civilized" fellow humans but are horrified at the natural behavoir of wild animals.
I wonder how many of us would venture into the water if there were Saltwater or Nile Crocodiles in our dive areas as opposed to Alligators? Probably not with out lobbing in a few grenades first anyway.