The DU Lounge

hlthe2b

(102,279 posts) Mon Apr 15, 2019, 07:10 AM Apr 2019

Hungry And Horny Alligators Are Invading Streets, Homes And Pools In Florida

Yeah, the title got me...LOL Take shelter, Floridians! (that is if you WANT to)

While seeing an alligator is never too much of a surprise in Florida, the number of close encounters has jumped in recent days and it’s likely due to a combination of hunger and lust.

A family in Fort Meyers was awoken by an eight-foot gator in their lanai in the middle of the night last week, police said on Facebook. In another part of town, a motorist captured footage of a massive gator casually strolling along a busy road:

Link to tweet

With the mating season underway, the randy reptiles tend to be more active. But one expert told local media there was more to it than that. The weather is getting warmer and the higher temps speed up the reptiles’ metabolism and make them hungrier.

“They have to find some food so that’s when we’ll find them on sidewalks and people’s pools,” Brian Norris of Florida Fish and Wildlife told Fox 4 in Fort Myers. “They’re really just out there browsing around.”

9 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Hungry And Horny Alligators Are Invading Streets, Homes And Pools In Florida (Original Post) hlthe2b Apr 2019 OP

Poor gators are being crowded out of their habitat by people raccoon Apr 2019 #1

Deer in my back yard, coyotes often around the area, and I live.... greymattermom Apr 2019 #3

Aww, I hope he was removed safely. dewsgirl Apr 2019 #2

that is sad... Fortunately outrage has decreased this urge to shoot first with our bear issues hlthe2b Apr 2019 #4

So many unfortunate deaths, it is heartbreaking. I am dewsgirl Apr 2019 #5

Wow that big gator could eat a small dog FakeNoose Apr 2019 #6

People on this thread should not watch 'Swamp People' on the History Channel Submariner Apr 2019 #7

Googled McGregor Park Ft Myers, It's a development opposite the intercoastal and Gulf coast. Fla Dem Apr 2019 #8

And to think I'm afraid of lizards. Dem2theMax Apr 2019 #9

raccoon

(31,111 posts)

1. Poor gators are being crowded out of their habitat by people

Reply to hlthe2b (Original post)

Mon Apr 15, 2019, 07:34 AM

Apr 2019

Moving in. Same thing happening in Charleston SC area.

Lots of wildlife being displaced in my rapidly growing city. Other day I saw three young deer running across a secondary road and they jumped a wire fence about 4-5 feet high. Heading away from the main road, luckily.

greymattermom

(5,754 posts)

3. Deer in my back yard, coyotes often around the area, and I live....

Reply to raccoon (Reply #1)

Mon Apr 15, 2019, 07:51 AM

Apr 2019

in Atlanta.

dewsgirl

(14,961 posts)

2. Aww, I hope he was removed safely.

Reply to hlthe2b (Original post)

Mon Apr 15, 2019, 07:51 AM

Apr 2019

In Vero Beach about 20 years ago, they shot one and the people watching were horrified(me included). They did(supposedly) relocate his mate. This happened right at the bottom of a bridge, right next to the river. There were memorials up for that gator there for years.

hlthe2b

(102,279 posts)

4. that is sad... Fortunately outrage has decreased this urge to shoot first with our bear issues

Reply to dewsgirl (Reply #2)

Mon Apr 15, 2019, 07:54 AM

Apr 2019

and even the siblings to the mountain lion killed by the jogger were relocated rather than killed.

I go absolutely furious when they refer to unnecessary intentional shootings as "euthanasia". Infuriating.

dewsgirl

(14,961 posts)

5. So many unfortunate deaths, it is heartbreaking. I am

Reply to hlthe2b (Reply #4)

Mon Apr 15, 2019, 08:41 AM

Apr 2019

happy the outrage is curbing some of it.

FakeNoose

(32,639 posts)

6. Wow that big gator could eat a small dog

Reply to hlthe2b (Original post)

Mon Apr 15, 2019, 09:12 AM

Apr 2019

It's kind of scary to see one of those in your backyard. I would think the traffic noise in the city would bother the alligator, but this guy is moving along at a brisk pace.