Alligators, at Disney World?

Goonie said:

I had to do a double take, what on earth are alligators doing in a lake at Disney world?

Click to expand...

Disney is in Florida and is surrounded by water. Florida has alligators in most of their water ways. So not uncommon for them to have alligators in their surrounding lakes and ponds.

Goonie said:

I've realised this, but I suspect that it would not have occurred to many families at Disney world. It seems that Disney whilst signposting 'no swimming' did not post warnings about alligators.

Click to expand...

Understand as Disney World (Florida) does attract patrons from many nations. I agree there should be a warning sign.

Yet again it is Florida. Do they air a show called "The Gator Boys" in the UK?

Goonie said:

I've realised this, but I suspect that it would not have occurred to many families at Disney world. It seems that Disney whilst signposting 'no swimming' did not post warnings about alligators.

Click to expand...

If you take a trip to Florida do not hesitate to rent a car and head out into the boonies to see the Gator Boys in action at:

https://www.evergladesholidaypark.com/

If you have not seen the show (I think it is now discontinued) you can see plenty on line here:

http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/gator-boys/

Goonie said:

I've realised this, but I suspect that it would not have occurred to many families at Disney world. It seems that Disney whilst signposting 'no swimming' did not post warnings about alligators.

Click to expand...

And even then the boy in question wasn't swimming. He wasn't even really wading. He was in ankle deep water. For a two year old that's like two inches of water.

trunks2k said:

And even then the boy in question wasn't swimming. He wasn't even really wading. He was in ankle deep water. For a two year old that's like two inches of water.

Click to expand...

That's the perfect spot for an alligator.

The boy lived just a couple miles from me. What a horror for the parents.

Mudinyeri said:

That's the perfect spot for an alligator.

Click to expand...

Perhaps, but you wouldn't expect a person not familiar with alligators to really be thinking of that when a sign just says "no swimming".

trunks2k said:

Perhaps, but you wouldn't expect a person not familiar with alligators to really be thinking of that when a sign just says "no swimming".

Click to expand...

Agreed.

Disney tried to sugar-coat the danger and a child paid for it with his life.

Mudinyeri said:

Agreed.

Disney tried to sugar-coat the danger and a child paid for it with his life.

Click to expand...

Did Disney claim that the "no swimming" was meant because of the danger of Alligators? I would suspect any fresh water in large swaths of Florida runs the risk of alligators. "No Swimming" could be because there's no staff there to watch for people in trouble, or some submerged risk (pipes or the like) that's not visible from the surface.

According to a report I saw in USA today on-line there have been but 23 fatalities due to alligators since the early 1940's. That's still 23 too many but given the frame of time between then and now and with the population of gators through the years, that's not as high as would be presumed.

I heard yesterday on MSNBC radio that some of the blame was due to people feeding the alligators in the area. They get use to a certain food source in a certain area and like all wild animals they'll make that part of their hunting area. Because they're assured something to eat.
Earlier reports of this little boy's tragedy had it that he was in the shallow water when he was taken. Gators act like gators. If people have a habit of throwing chicken wings, hotdogs, etc... into the shallow water just to watch alligators come up and eat, tourists that are unaware of that prior activity have no idea their little one in the shallows would likely appear as another snack in the water.
This feeding tendency of the wildlife can be why alligators moved into the area as well. It is Disney's responsibility for not putting up warning signs. And also prosecuting those who feed the gators. That's illegal in Florida and for this very reason.
I imagine Disney will be find this to be a very costly lapse on their part.

God rest the soul.

Walt Disney CEO responds to gator attack tragedy
Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Some outlets are releasing the news that just half hour before this little boy was taken another little boy was playing in the same spot.
That activity could have drawn the attention of the alligator that arrived very shortly after.
Why would people think it is a good idea to feed an apex predator like a Florida alligator? And near a resort where children are likely to enter their domain?

No signs in this water area are posted. They're far away warning about alligators but not very close to the waters where this child was playing. Maybe Disney figured people would know if there is an alligator problem yards away according to the sign ,that it will be a given that it is a water hazard warning being that's where alligators lurk for the most part.

Goonie said:

really sad, and horrifying story here..
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/15/disney-world-alligator-attack-boy-search

I had to do a double take, what on earth are alligators doing in a lake at Disney world? No warnings posted either.

I know it's Florida and alligators are common, and usually not a threat, but still what were Disney thinking in not ensuring the safety of their guests.

Click to expand...

God have mercy!

i wonder the same thing, why are alligators at Disney World at all?

And no warnings??!!

How tragic and heartbreaking.

Praying.

Goonie said:

really sad, and horrifying story here..
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/15/disney-world-alligator-attack-boy-search

I had to do a double take, what on earth are alligators doing in a lake at Disney world? No warnings posted either.

I know it's Florida and alligators are common, and usually not a threat, but still what were Disney thinking in not ensuring the safety of their guests.

Click to expand...

I grew up in L.A. and had to deal with gators all my life. If we wanted to swim in the canal behind the house, we would literally have to send somebody down to the pond at the end of the street to make sure the gator was in the pond and not in the canal, first.

Now, we have a home in WPB and gators are, once again, just a fact of life. They pull one out of the pond by our house about once a month.

Gators are like toddlers. Just like every parent of a toddler knows there's nothing they can't get into, gators will very often come up through the storm drains, especially during dry periods, looking for water and food. It's just a fact of life in that part of the country and I'm always surprised that Disney was not more vigilant.

trunks2k said:

Perhaps, but you wouldn't expect a person not familiar with alligators to really be thinking of that when a sign just says "no swimming".

Click to expand...

I would hope that someone who sees a sign that says "no swimming" would be smart enough to figure out that it means "no activity allowed in this body of water." No wading, no laying and letting the waves come over you, or lounging on a pool edge with your feet in the water. I've been at a number of pools and beaches where the water had to be cleared of people and no exceptions were ever made for people who just wanted to stay in the shallows or put their feet in the water. Everybody out, no exceptions.

Goonie said:

Yep, there are 'no swimming' signs, and as Blondepudding has mentioned in the above post there might be some warning about alligators elsewhere, just not next to the water.

Click to expand...

that's the weirdest thing i've ever heard....

it seems that it's EXACTLY at the water that you'd want signs.

Furthermore, why oh why even have alligators there at all?

Because that lagoon used to be swampland, which is the natural habitat for alligators. You can't stop them from going where they want to go, as with any wild animal. They have much more of a right to be there than the humans who have built right on top of their habitat.

And yes, there ARE "no swimming signs" posted at this lagoon. That is where the uproar is coming from, because the parents ignored the signs and allowed their son to go into the water. Alligators don't need to actually see potential prey to know it is there, because they can sense from the water movement that there may be prey making that water move, and they are carnivores that will eat anything they find.

FreeSpirit74 said:

And yes, there ARE "no swimming signs" posted at this lagoon. That is where the uproar is coming from, because the parents ignored the signs and allowed their son to go into the water.

Click to expand...

I don't know where you're from, but every park in Florida that has water has alligator warning signs. We live within a pleasant bike ride of two very nice parks and the signs are everywhere. There is a trail that goes along a canal by out house that has alligator warning signs.

Disney should have known well enough to have alligator warning signs.