K
Joined: Oct 08, 2003
Posts: 1266
|
K
On 2006-02-27 04:39, mbonga wrote:
Now some natural history. Most waterways larger than a creek are not safe to be near because of alligators. There was a classy seafood restaurant on one point near where I lived, and there were large alligators strolling by the windows where the diners ate. That might sound like fun until you realize that there were no fences there, and the alligators could just as easily have strolled up to the front door of the restaurant. There were constantly newspaper reports of dogs and kids near the water being grabbed and carried off and eaten by alligators. Alligators were in public parks, golf courses, nature trails, drainage ponds, the Indian River in people's backyards, and of course lakes. One newspaper report told of a homeless guy living alone near a lake near where I lived (there are a lot of homeless down there, due to relatively warm weather) who was grabbed by an alligator and mauled for a period of about 2-3 hours until somebody happened by to help out. In California I constantly explored fields and creeks and shores all alone as a kid, but if I had done that in Florida, I'd probably be dead by now. You don't want to get mauled by an alligator. Even though that homeless man escaped, the dirt and bacteria in a gator's mouth are so dangerous that they thought the man's leg would have to be amputated just from the infection alone.
Don't forget the alligator gars...
And the alligator snapping turtles...
C'mon in...the water's fine. :D
|
