We even had a few out in West Texas on ranches - although that was not as common as here. We visited a local State park a few years ago to see the gators in the lake there. I was actually stunned at the observation dock - the gators could easily walk down that dock and trap you out there. It totally creeped me out....that plus a little while after leaving the dock I photographed two alligators just lying in the sun blocking the sidewalk.... the kids had taken a nature walk and had to walk around some snakes - I was not interested in going back to that area.
I saw that craziness once, when MrT5 was TDY in Florida-we went to one of the parks near the everglades-tourists were walking around taking pictures of alligators snoozing at the edge of the water, on the walkways and piers, etc-while screeching kids and barking dogs practically stepped over them. We were waiting for one of them to wake up hungry, and grab a kid or dog.
You have to wonder if anyone is thinking about the liability, possible lawsuits, etc-after all, you don’t see parks in the mountains in other states where the tourists and hikers walk right up to sleeping bears to take pictures-it makes no sense at all...
Before someone mentions it-I’m aware that there are people who go to nature parks and walk right up to bison, moose, etc-and get injured or killed. At one of the wildlife parks about 40 miles from here, we watched a really dumb tourist drive right up to a group of several ostriches-after being told by a park employee not to even think of doing that-and getting both doors of their truck kicked in, and an angry ostrich almost got right inside-people like that are obviously a sandwich or two shy of a picnic, or maybe Darwin contenders...