Rough week in Orlando

ucfd608

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
It has been one rough week in Orlando first the shooting now the toddler dragged off in the lagoon by a gator at Disney
 

Ftransit

Veteran Expediter
Driver
The 1st shooting was Christina Grimmie Friday night after her concert, then the mass shooting Sunday morning. The gator attack wow all so sad and unbelievable!
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I used to live in Ft Lauderdale and I witnessed my next door neighbor's poodle get snatched up by a gator from the canal that ran along our back yards, and several times I've seen gators grab birds (ducks, herons, egrets) from the water's edge. But I've actually never heard of a kid being taken by one. That's got to be extremely rare.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I just checked.The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has kept records of alligator bites dating back to 1948. There have been 383 alligator bites on people in unprovoked encounters. Of the 383 total incidents, 23 of those were fatal, with 16 of those deaths being children aged 2 to 4.

So, it's very rare, but still way more than I would have thought. I would have guessed maybe 5 toddlers in the last 100 years.
 

ucfd608

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I would have never thought a gator would grab a kid like that but I guess alot of things play into it
 

jaxonviking

Expert Expediter
Zookeeper in Detroit said if it were a female with a nest nearby or the kid stepped on it while the gator was submerged, it might have attacked. Unprovoked attacks are very rare. I won't go within 10' of fresh water at night down there though. Gators are quicker than you'd think and are most active at night.
 
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