*please read all*
very often now.. I hear about a new person being attacked in Florida.. with no survivers. Are you feeding the alligators ? Thats what some ppl here in New Orleans think.. b/c I've never even heard of an alligator attack here. I've swam in the rivers here since I was a kid.. and STILL do... i do water sports and the rivers here are packed with swimers on the weekends. The same rivers with the alligators... yet they dont bother us. Why is this !? Just to make sure.. i even tried searching for any articles about alligator attacks in Nola and couldn't find any... all that came up was Floridas. and both states have the same species of alligators.. This is a growing concern for me.. thinking it wont be long before they become aggressive here too..
2007-06-20 02:13:03 · 5 answers · asked by nola_cajun 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Last year was a fluke I say, a FLUKE. In 50 years, alligators have killed 25 people here in Florida... DOGS KILL MORE PEOPLE HERE THAN THAT EVERY YEAR!!!!
Anyway, my theories, because I've addressed this before...
Not only are we dealing with drought conditions and habitat destruction, but if you compare the yearly public hunts that we have here in FL to those in LA, you will see how many more alligators are killed by people every year in Louisiana than are killed by people here. Alligators have been around a long time, they're smart... There's a lot of people around here thinking that maybe alligators never really were endangered... they're smart enough to hide when they see someone coming and they've been shot at a few times... I think your public hunts truly do contribute to the shyness of your alligators... so not only are we not killing nearly as many as you guys are, we've got (I'm tempted to be geographically mean here, but I won't) we've got a lot of people here in Florida who don't realize the potential that these animals have... a LOT of people who think... "Oh my goodness, that little alligator doesn't have it's mommy to take care of it, I'll throw it some bread." 95% of our attacks are linked back to feeding... we've got a lot of stupid, stupid, people...
Now, the three fatalities in one week last year... The one with a bit of an excuse was from out of state and was snorkeling on a canoe run that I KNOW where she rented her canoe there were a few good sized signs warning her and everyone else NOT TO SWIM ON THE CANOE RUN. 2 + 2 does equal 4, people.
The other two had no excuse other than too many fried brain cells... one was found to have over twice the legal limit of alcohol in her system, and some xanax, they're not even sure if she was conscious when she was killed, and I forget what the other girl was on, but she had some "mood enhancers" in her system as well...
Use your brain and you won't get killed by an alligator.
2007-06-21 00:49:56 · answer #1 · answered by gimmenamenow 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gators are aggressive everywhere, ma'am.
Florida is undergoing a lot of development. Because the swamps are being dried up, the alligators are leaving the swamps, looking for somewhere else to live. When people and gators come into close proximity, gators assume their natural predator role.
In New Orleans, they aren't draining swamps. In fact, they're doing just the opposite - they're flooding the city. What's more, the city is significantly depopulated, and many feral cats and dogs are available, so the gators don't bother people very much.
If you build your population back up and then start aggressively destroying the gator habitat, yeah, you'll start having problems.
2007-06-20 02:22:19 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well alligators do become more fierce around mating season, but there are still a bunch of really stupid people that try to feed them, or bother them in some way. People provoke them, throw things at them, etc. and its no wonder that they attack. We have plenty of little lakes and rivers around here that the alligators stay in and they dont bother anyone.
2007-06-20 02:21:22 · answer #3 · answered by floridasun5 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is currently a severe drought in Florida. This is reducing both the habitat and the food supply for Aligators. Flight (running or swimming away), which is preferred by them, is no longer an easy option for the 'gators, so they are more likely to fight. When Aligators and Man tangle unarmed, the Aligator is VERY likely to win.
2007-06-20 02:20:26 · answer #4 · answered by Treefrog 43 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe Florida alligators are more ferocious or something than New Orleans alligators?
2007-06-20 02:16:59 · answer #5 · answered by Cheer=♥! 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋