Posted on 5/17/2006, 4:03:04 PM by george76
State wildlife officials field a flood of calls about alligators in the wake of recent fatal gator attacks...
As news of fatal alligator attacks spread throughout Florida and the nation, operators at the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program in Okeechobee are swamped.
Operators have stayed late this week to handle the flood of phone calls. They logged 225 calls on Monday, more than double the number of calls they answered a year ago.
''It was nonstop,'' said biologist Lindsey Hord, the program's coordinator. ``As soon as they hung up with one person, they answered another call.''
The call volume increased last Thursday after a 9 ½-foot alligator fatally attacked Davie resident Yovy Suarez Jimenez.
The Broward County Medical Examiner determined she was dragged from the canal bank into the water. The alligator was captured and two arms were found inside the reptile.
Last weekend, the bodies of two more women -- one in Pinellas County and another in Ocala National Forest -- were found.
(Excerpt) Read more at miami.com ...
As long as we don't mind being breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
Why are only women being killed? Why isn't NOW doing something about this?
The truth of the matter is that they are no longer endangered, period! They are a nuisance and more than that they are dangerous. They need thinning out but the bleeding hearts & the nutcases won't let us kill them. One can only hope that they're the ones that get eaten.
Right now only hunters with special permits are allowed to take a certain number of them each season.
On a dark night on the water, you shine your flashlight into the darkness and just about everything looking back (reflective eyes like cats) at you is a gator and they are definitely getting more numerous. Contrary to what some believe, the gators don't ruin the fishing...they actually help it by getting rid of "rough" fish like gar, carp, and bowfin.
The gators are not endangered.
Women with families inside of their homes are endangered !
We need to allow expanded hunting.
Our sick, pagan culture values animals over humans.
I agree 100%.
Where is FEMA???
It's Bush's fault!
Gator hunters should be given a break on hunting.
Same for wolves, bears, mountain lions...all around the nation.
I kinda like the gators down here. They help thin out the feral cat population near the lake...
It reminds me of the "shark summer" we were having back in 2001 before bigger events took place.
I guess the gators are just in the media spotlight right now.
Time for aligator shoes to come back into style.
The Gators are in violation of the VAWAA. (Violence Against Women by Alligators Act.)
and belts, wallets, jackets...
Hubby, who many jokingly refer to as Jim from Wild Kingdom, believes it is mating season for the alligators and suspects they are attracted/distracted by any species of female.
Are you saying alligators are looking to mate with humans???
The gators were looking for food...not sex.
IMHO
I agree. Or at least 'self defense'. I'm still a little surprised that the gator could come through her doggie door, repeatedly, and when she shoots it (not killing it, even), she is given a warning about gator hunting. LOL, it's hardly 'hunting' if you're defending yourself from it's attacks inside your home!
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