Why do people not learn from the past? It’s been proven time and time again with other animals (notably sharks) that these attacks are not the doing of some rogue animal who has somehow gained a taste for human flesh. Killing the alligator won’t help at all.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/12/alligator.attack.ap/index.html?section=cnn_mostpopular
001 // Brian Ford // 05.13.2006 // 10:02 AM
Sadly, this seems to be our reaction to “anything” that is aggresive: Randomly kill some things first, look stupid later.
(Iraq war, cough, cough.)
002 // Rafael // 05.13.2006 // 5:13 PM
This will also increase people’s irrational fear of animals with lots of sharp teeth. Just like with sharks, it’ll make people not care much for the survival of alligators because they’re “evil” animals that “eat humans”, despite the fact there are only a handful of attacks a year. In addition, these animals only attack people out of fear. Ironically, we kill more of our own species, and other species, than any amount of sharks or alligators could ever do. Damn I hate people.
003 // David Sissitka // 05.16.2006 // 9:09 PM
I was debating on replying, what happened today pretty much made the decision for me. In Florida deed restricted communties (You know, cookie cutter houses.) are being put up all over. Right around the corner (In New Port Richey.) one of these communities was built around a swamp, with, you guessed it, allgators. Today an alligator made it’s way onto a lady’s property, it was sitting on her doorstep. Being roughly 6 foot a trapper was called, as was a police officer. Apparently the police officer decided to play trapper, which ended with the aligator looking at said police officer and getting shot.
I really don’t know what I’m getting at, it’s just disgusting. Perhaps the developer should be blamed, the houses aren’t needed (Taxes are so high at the moment, nearly 20 percent of the houses in a neighboring community are for sale.), it was the animal’s territory first. Maybe the local police department should be blamed, employing someone who isn’t all that bright (As he knew a trapper was coming.). It was just on Fox News, I’ll post a link when it’s available.
004 // Jeff Croft // 05.16.2006 // 9:47 PM
Interesting, David. That’s really sad, I think.
I can certainly understand people’s motivation to retaliate against what, to the average person, probably looks like Alligators waging war on humans. But there are two fundamental flaws with that line of thinking:
As you said, it was their land first. If you go into a swamp, you’re asking to deal with swamp-dwelling animals. Just like if you go in the ocean, you’re stepping into the shark’s home uninvited. I’m not saying we shouldn’t go into swamps or the ocean — I’m just saying we need to understand that when we do, we’re taking certain risks. We can’t blame animals for protecting territory that has been theirs since the beginning of time. It’s just what they do. They don’t know better. Survival of the fittest, and all that. I live in Kansas. I understand that an inherent danger of living here is tornados. There’s nothing I can do about it — other than move. In my mind, to live in Flordia is to accept the dangers that are alligators and bull sharks — especially if you’re living right alongside the swamps. If you don’t live living with alligators, move.
Killing them simply won’t help. This is what I, as a shark enthusiast, like to call the “Jaws syndrome.” It’s the stupid idea people get in their heads that when someone is killed by an animals, it’s because there’s one animal out there that has a certain disdain for humans and will go on some kind of a killing spree. That’s not impossible (in some animals, anyway), but it’s not the case 99.99% of the time. Usually, the animals are simply defending their territory and/or looking for food. It wasn’t just one alligator. They’ll all react that way under the same circumstances. Florida has over a million alligators, I think. Killing a handful that are believed to have killed humans does nothing, other than satisfy the vengeful desires of a few angry humans. We have emotions — they don’t.
005 // Brian Ford // 05.16.2006 // 11:13 PM
One thing we can know for sure:
Steve Irwan is rolling over in his grave.
006 // Jeff Croft // 05.17.2006 // 12:05 AM
Wouldn’t he have to be dead for that?
007 // 0.o // 09.04.2006 // 1:20 AM
He is.. As of today. Killer = brian??? :S
008 // april streeting // 09.04.2006 // 6:27 PM
that is a sad thing to day. he died of a heart attack after he got stung by a stingray barb through his chest. do you feel sorry at all. his eight year old and three year old dont have a father anymore and his wife dont have a husband anymore. show some i dont kbnow what but dont say that like that about him. he was a great man who everyone will miss
009 // stephanie // 09.05.2006 // 6:14 PM
im sorry what happend to your husband i was crying last night when i heard what happened and then i checked the internet if that really happened then i cried more~~~!!!
010 // Jeff Croft // 09.05.2006 // 6:21 PM
April, please check the dates on the comments you are reading. We were talking about this in May, several months before Steve died. No one was being insensitive. Jeez.
My husband? Wow, and here I thought I was an unmarried straight male!