Found Deceased FL - Lane Graves, 2, Walt Disney World, 14 June 2016 #1

[Hatfield]

No, actually, gator is yummy. A lot of people around here would love to hunt them. There's a very limited season with limited permits for gator hunting. People try for years to get a permit. I understand Fish & Wildlife doesn't want gators to become endangered again. but I've been saying for years that we've got too many gators now. IMO, they need to issue a lot more gator permits. However many gators they allow people to hunt, that's how many will be hunted.

That's interesting about the permits. I agree they need more permits. When I was down there last which was quite a few years ago I saw enough gators around the Ft Lauderdale area to know there are plenty of them.

I did try gator at a restaurant and didn't care much for it at all. Maybe I didn't give it a chance. LOL It may have grown on me if I ever lived down there.

 

[sonjay]

That's interesting about the permits. I agree they need more permits. When I was down there last which was quite a few years ago I saw enough gators around the Ft Lauderdale area to know there are plenty of them.

I did try gator at a restaurant and didn't care much for it at all. Maybe I didn't give it a chance. LOL It may have grown on me if I ever lived down there.

Maybe it's an acquired taste, or maybe it just depends on being prepared properly and from fresh gator meat. I have a friend whose father used to be a state-licensed trapper. He used to bring us fresh gator meat whenever his dad had to kill one. Gator fritters are great! Gator gumbo is excellent.

 

[Hatfield]

• Permit and Alligator Trapping License for Florida Residents (includes 2 CITES tags for the harvest of 2 alligators): $272.00
• Permit and Alligator Trapping License for Non-Residents (includes 2 CITES tags for the harvest of 2 alligators): $1,022.00

http://myfwc.com/license/limited-entry-hunts/general-info/alligator-hunt-permit/

Permits for the 2016 alligator season are sold out.

Wow. Thanks for correcting me about the hunters. Since the licences are sold out then this means there are plenty of hunters and just not enough permits being divied out just like you said.

Thanks for the correction.

I totally agree that officials just need to increase the permits and help reduce the herd.
You can tell I am mainly experienced with deer hunting since I call them a "herd". LOL
Not sure of proper term for a herd of gators.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Re-posting just for the info:

That's true and they love retention ponds. Any source of water is a potential home. And they serve a function. They maintain and keep water holes as well as the ecosystem.
"Though many people find alligators terrifying, the wondrous reptiles help maintain a critical balance in our ecosystem. They feed rapaciously on invasive nutrias, which cause horrific damage to wetlands by denuding their vegetation, and they also tunnel deep depressions that provide reservoirs during droughts. These "gator holes" can be a source of lifesaving water for fish, birds, turtles and other creatures."
I also agree that signs need to be in place about the presence of gators and about not feeding them. People from other areas don't know about alligators and shouldn't be expected to know about them. Feeding gators is like feeding bears. They not only associate people with food but they lose their fear of people. Female gators will, however, fiercely protect their young (as do other species).
But Disney also stopped allowing people to swim because periodically the bacteria levels are very high.


http://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/article/Gators-serve-a-purpose-in-our-environment-4279971.php

 

[sonjay]

Wow. Thanks for correcting me about lack of hunters. Since the licences are sold out then this means there are plenty of hunters and just not enough permits being divied out just like you said.

Thanks for the correction.

I totally agree that officials just need to increase the permits and help reduce the herd.
You can tell I am mainly experienced with deer hunting since I call them a "herd". LOL
Not sure of proper term for a herd of gators.

I just a couple of days ago learned that a herd of stringrays is called a "fever." When I saw this video:
[video=youtube;44xjph7Z_BQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44xjph7Z_BQ[/video]
I've seen huge groups of stingrays like that.

I don't know either what a herd of gators is called. I'm not sure there is a word for it, because they don't really herd together. There are often numerous gators in an area, but they're all just there as individuals.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

It already is illegal to feed alligators in Florida. Illegal at Disney just like it is everywhere else in the state.

Unfortunately, that doesn't stop people from feeding them.

I doubt tourists from other parts of the country and the world are aware that it's illegal.

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[sonjay]

I doubt tourists from other parts of the country and the world are aware that it's illegal.

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Everywhere I've ever been, with whatever the native wildlife is, I've always been warned not to feed it. It *should* be common sense, but I guess it's not.

 

[sonjay]

Congregation. A group of gators is called a congregation.

Who knew they were religious?

 

[mrsu]

A group of alligators is called a congregation.

 

[Hatfield]

I just a couple of days ago learned that a herd of stringrays is called a "fever." When I saw this video:
[video=youtube;44xjph7Z_BQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44xjph7Z_BQ[/video]
I've seen huge groups of stingrays like that.

I don't know either what a herd of gators is called. I'm not sure there is a word for it, because they don't really herd together. There are often numerous gators in an area, but they're all just there as individuals.

That makes perfect sense. Officials probably just refer to them as in overall estimated numbers of them.

When we had gone to a pier down around Miami Beach visiting , we too saw a huge school of Stingrays like that. It was truly amazing and one of the coolest things we saw on our vacation down to Florida.

I actually cant wait to come back down there to visit. We had a really good time down there. Whenever we went there we always went to the Atlantic side beaches near Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. I would love to visit Disney someday because most everyone I speak with who have been there just has good things to say about it.

I really have not met anyone that went to Disney and had anything bad to say. They all loved their Disney trips. I am sure I would too and would love to go there.

 

[Hatfield]

Congregation. A group of gators is called a congregation.

Who knew they were religious?

Thank you. Interesting to know.

LOL @ religious

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Congregation. A group of gators is called a congregation.

Who knew they were religious?

:silly:

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Disney's black eye is minimal & short lived. They will suffer almost no financial repercussion.

In an earlier post to this discussion, I suggested that "Disney's stellar reputation will change soon." After following the case/thread over the past 48 hours or so, I am more convinced than ever that WDW has been negligent by not informing guests of their hotels/theme parks about the dangers of alligators in Disney waterways. I would not be surprised if the distraught parents of Lane Graves sue WDW for failing to overtly warn hotel patrons about the prevalence of alligators.

 

[perfectingpink]

Congregation. A group of gators is called a congregation.

Who knew they were religious?

:drumroll:

 

[sonjay]

In an earlier post to this discussion, I suggested that "Disney's stellar reputation will change soon." After following the case/thread over the past 48 hours or so, I am more convinced than ever that WDW has been negligent by not informing guests of their hotels/theme parks about the dangers of alligators in Disney waterways. I would not be surprised if the distraught parents of Lane Graves sue WDW for failing to overtly warn hotel patrons about the prevalence of alligators.

I'm still on the fence about whether Disney was negligent.

As I've noted numerous times on this thread, the actual risk of an alligator attack is infinitesimally small. And they did have rules and they did have signs.

But OTOH, they apparently didn't enforce their own rules. They didn't enforces their rules against going in the water, and they didn't enforce any rules against feeding the gators.

My guess is, they'll make some ridiculously high offer to Lane's family, to be accompanied by a signed agreement not to sue. It will probably be so high that Lane's family would be stupid not to accept it. And since Disney is already changing the situation vis-a-vis signs & warnings, it's not as if Lane's family will need to stand on principal and sue anyway in order to force Disney to start warning people about gators.

So.... my guess is, don't expect to see a lawsuit. Disney will not want to end up in court over this, and they have enough money to avoid it.

 

[AlwaysShocked]

"But Disney also stopped allowing people to swim because periodically the bacteria levels are very high."

Well this is interesting. Any link for this? Any knowledge of what the specific bacteria was/is?

So, what you are saying is that Disney offers a POLLUTED, alligator infested body of water to its guests? Hmmmmm......

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

Since the Disney lagoon and waterways are man made, maybe they could change the characteristics of the water so it's less suitable for gators. They could increase the salinity and/or create an artificial current to discourage them. While it won't eliminate the problem entirely, I bet they could reduce the number of alligators in the park significantly.


http://tracker.cci.fsu.edu/alligator/about/where/

Because they have a low tolerance for salt, the majority of alligators inhabit freshwater. They can only handle being exposed to salt water for a small length of time, but will sometimes live in brackish water. These reptiles favor calmer waters and primarily occupy swamps and marshes.





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[ninij9]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...rand-floridian-fence-sign-20160617-story.html

These barriers are temporary until they can come up with something better.

It's a good beginning.

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[sonjay]

Since the Disney lagoon and waterways are man made, maybe they could change the characteristics of the water so it's less suitable for gators. They could increase the salinity and/or create an artificial current to discourage them. While it won't eliminate the problem entirely, I bet they could reduce the number of alligators in the park significantly.


http://tracker.cci.fsu.edu/alligator/about/where/

Because they have a low tolerance for salt, the majority of alligators inhabit freshwater. They can only handle being exposed to salt water for a small length of time, but will sometimes live in brackish water. These reptiles favor calmer waters and primarily occupy swamps and marshes.

Eh........ The river by my property is brackish. We see tons of gators, all the way down to the harbor where it becomes salt water. Sometimes even out in the harbor.

The Ding Darling wildlife refuge, on Sanibel Island in the Gulf -- meaning it's surrounded by salt water -- is chock full of gators.

Also, it would concern me how it might affect the aquifer if they filled those lagoons and waterways with salt water. Our aquifer is very near the surface, and it could possibly screw up the ecosystem in disastrous ways. They nearly killed the Everglades by screwing with it.

 

[Tricia]

Hi Everyone,

This is beyond heartbreaking. The story of 2-year-old Lane Graves has broken our hearts.

Lane has been found and now his parents must try and pick up the pieces of their lives.

We are closing this thread. This thread was about the search for Lane and now the case is closed. However, if there are new developments as far as any lawsuit or anything else connected to this case you can start a new thread in Up to the Minute.

Please don't start one right now because there is nothing left to discuss at the moment. That could change at some point and then feel free to start a new thread.

Thank you for your participation and for caring so deeply for a little boy you never met.

Tricia