Was the Largo Gator Provoked?

[MuggsyB]

Apparently a 14 foot alligator had a human in its mouth and was euthanized.  The human did not make it.  My guess is this alligator wasn't targeting anyone but I suppose wildlife authorities didn't want to take any chances.

[#UnleashSean]

Does a .44 magnum to the skull count as euthanizing?

[MuggsyB]

Does a .44 magnum to the skull count as euthanizing?

That's what they always do.  I wonder what actually happened? 

[forgetful]

That's what they always do.  I wonder what actually happened?

There is a logical answer here. Gators are territorial apex predators, they saw potential prey, and killed it.

That's how biology works. Gator see, Gator kill.

[MuggsyB]

There is a logical answer here. Gators are territorial apex predators, they saw potential prey, and killed it.

That's how biology works. Gator see, Gator kill.

Why was the woman there? 

[forgetful]

Why was the woman there?

Is this a serious question?

There is a walking trail right where it happened in the middle of a city.

[MuggsyB]

Is this a serious question?

There is a walking trail right where it happened in the middle of a city.

Oh....I didn't realize that.  My bad. 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

We used to have a place like less than a mile away from there and golfed at a course like two blocks from there.

There were gators in those ponds all the time. I would imagine she provoked it in some way. Gators are incredibly chill if you just leave them alone.

[MuggsyB]

We used to have a place like less than a mile away from there and golfed at a course like two blocks from there.

There were gators in those ponds all the time. I would imagine she provoked it in some way. Gators are incredibly chill if you just leave them alone.

That's always been my impression about alligators.....perhaps there should be a thorough investigation?  Any cameras in the vicinity?  Lethality is generally going to be the consequence of trifling with this species, especially if you are near its chompers.  I'm not saying the woman was at fault but there's a lot we don't know. 

[jesmu84]

Oh....I didn't realize that.  My bad.

You started a thread and made accusations before reading about what actually happened?

[MuggsyB]

You started a thread and made accusations before reading about what actually happened?

I thought it happened in the pond.  I apologize.  But we still don't know all the facts. 

[Herman Cain]

Apparently a 14 foot alligator had a human in its mouth and was euthanized.  The human did not make it.  My guess is this alligator wasn't targeting anyone but I suppose wildlife authorities didn't want to take any chances.

More to the story here……

https://nypost.com/2023/09/24/florida-woman-sabrina-peckham-found-in-gators-jaws-was-arrested-for-trespassing-two-months-ago/amp/

[MuggsyB]

More to the story here……

https://nypost.com/2023/09/24/florida-woman-sabrina-peckham-found-in-gators-jaws-was-arrested-for-trespassing-two-months-ago/amp/

Ty Herman. 

[Scoop Snoop]

That's always been my impression about alligators.....perhaps there should be a thorough investigation?  Any cameras in the vicinity?  Lethality is generally going to be the consequence of trifling with this species, especially if you are near its chompers.  I'm not saying the woman was at fault but there's a lot we don't know.

Thoughts and prayers. For the alligator of course. And the woman? She had it coming. The "thorough" investigation should be conducted by Congress.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

We used to have a place like less than a mile away from there and golfed at a course like two blocks from there.

There were gators in those ponds all the time. I would imagine she provoked it in some way. Gators are incredibly chill if you just leave them alone.

They are incredibly chill... until they're not. It's excessively rare that they're not but it does happen.

[NCMUFan]

We used to have a place like less than a mile away from there and golfed at a course like two blocks from there.

There were gators in those ponds all the time. I would imagine she provoked it in some way. Gators are incredibly chill if you just leave them alone.

I got to believe that was a hungry gator.
Why wouldn't they be opportunist?
If you are available and it is hungry and it can take you down, what is to stop them.

I had seen some incredibly large gators in a nature reserve on an island near Charleston SC when doing a sea kayaking/camping getaway.
There was no way I was getting within 100 feet of them. 

[MuggsyB]

I got to believe that was a hungry gator.
Why wouldn't they be opportunist?
If you are available and it is hungry and it can take you down, what is to stop them.

I had seen some incredibly large gators in a nature reserve on an island near Charleston SC when doing a sea kayaking/camping getaway.
There was no way I was getting within 100 feet of them.

Again, I do not know all the facts.  Maybe the alligator was hungry, provoked, or snapped for some unknown reason.  Maybe he/she was startled, had some anxiety, or simply had a bad day.  But you make a very valid point:   the most basic human response when encountering a animal of this power, size, and bite force is to tread lightly a.k.a. give them space.  Now it is conceivable this gator was famished and ran her down but that seems pretty unlikely.

[tower912]

Well, the gator and the dinner aren't talking.  Unless they can find evidence that the woman had been attacked by a human and left either in or near the water, the conclusion will be the gator attacked.  It is what they do.   The 3 year old at Disney certainly didn't provoke the gators or deserve to be eaten.

[MuggsyB]

Well, the gator and the dinner aren't talking.  Unless they can find evidence that the woman had been attacked by a human and left either in or near the water, the conclusion will be the gator attacked.  It is what they do.   The 3 year old at Disney certainly didn't provoke the gators or deserve to be eaten.

It's being investigated but I'm not sure what exactly that entails.  3 year olds are of course innocent when it comes to these rare situations.

[forgetful]

It's being investigated but I'm not sure what exactly that entails.  3 year olds are of course innocent when it comes to these rare situations.

3 year olds innocent. Homeless people who trespassed one time, apparently deserved to be eaten.

Seriously, the tragedy here is a person died. Nothing else in the story mattered.

[tower912]

Yes.

[MuggsyB]

3 year olds innocent. Homeless people who trespassed one time, apparently deserved to be eaten.

Seriously, the tragedy here is a person died. Nothing else in the story mattered.

I didn't say "she deserved to be eaten" but obviously there's a major distinction between a 3 year old child and an adult understanding  their surroundings  and certain dangers.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Gator in a smoker tastes like chicken.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Gator in a smoker tastes like chicken.

Gator does taste like a slightly chewier version of chicken. It’s delicious.

[Scoop Snoop]

I didn't say "she deserved to be eaten" but obviously there's a major distinction between a 3 year old child and an adult understanding  their surroundings  and certain dangers.

You STILL cannot bring yourself to focus on the deaths of humans for even one single moment, can you? Jeezus, Muggsy, stop being the attorney for the alligator long enough to say something more than the need for adults regarding "understanding their surroundings and certain dangers". Twenty four posts in and you cannot do it. To use one of your favorite words, inexcusable.

[MuggsyB]

You STILL cannot bring yourself to focus on the deaths of humans for even one single moment, can you? Jeezus, Muggsy, stop being the attorney for the alligator long enough to say something more than the need for adults regarding "understanding their surroundings and certain dangers". Twenty four posts in and you cannot do it. To use one of your favorite words, inexcusable.

Is there a rule that I have to focus more on human deaths than other species?  I focus on humans as well but each situation is different.  I will admit that in most Buffalo/human confrontations I root for the 🐃..  I suppose I'm a little biased with a lot of these stories. 

[wadesworld]

I tried fried gator for the first time last weekend.  I'm not a seafood fan so it wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't the worst seafood I've had.  Worth frying them to keep them from murdering humans.  My final verdict is eat more gators so the gators don't eat you.

[Dickthedribbler]

Gator does taste like a slightly chewier version of chicken. It’s delicious.

I thought it tastes more like a cross between Califonia Condor and Spotted Owl.

[Scoop Snoop]

Is there a rule that I have to focus more on human deaths than other species?  I focus on humans as well but each situation is different.  I will admit that in most Buffalo/human confrontations I root for the 🐃..  I suppose I'm a little biased wacko with a lot of these stories.

FIFY

[lawdog77]

Is there a rule that I have to focus more on human deaths than other species?  I focus on humans as well but each situation is different.  I will admit that in most Buffalo/human confrontations I root for the 🐃..  I suppose I'm a little biased with a lot of these stories.

But yet, you still eat animal flesh

[pbiflyer]

But yet, you still eat animal flesh

Meat is murder!......tasty, tasty murder.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Didn’t claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat vegetables

[MuggsyB]

FIFY

This is a bit harsh.  There are many advocates for alligators and other members of our tremendous animal kingdom.   I was just curious why he/she presumably snapped. 

[tower912]

It is in the gator's nature to do so.

[MuggsyB]

It is in the gator's nature to do so.

This is fairly unusual Tower.  As others have pointed out they're actually rather chill with the human population.  If they weren't we would see many, many, many, more incidents like this one.  It's when they are fed or trifled  with where they become dangerous. 

[pbiflyer]

The gator that was in our back yard was pretty chill.

[tower912]

Or maybe she was sleeping on the ground.   In that scenario, she is just another manageably small mammal to eat.   Or scooping water to drink.   Anything that would make her seem small enough to be managed.

Unless their is video, it is unlikely we will ever be certain.

[MuggsyB]

Or maybe she was sleeping on the ground.   In that scenario, she is just another manageably small mammal to eat.   Or scooping water to drink.   Anything that would make her seem small enough to be managed.

Unless their is video, it is unlikely we will ever be certain.

Your theory is possible but not particularly plausible. 

[real chili 83]

What would you think of a gator that attacked a manatee?  Who would you root for?

[CreightonWarrior]

What would you think of a gator that attacked a manatee?  Who would you root for?

Next Gen Kong vs Godzilla

[MuggsyB]

What would you think of a gator that attacked a manatee?  Who would you root for?

It's extremely rare for a gator to bite a manatee, let alone attack.    In this unlikely hypothetical scenario I would root for the manatee.  I believe manatees have been misunderstood and are in some trouble as a species. 

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

It's extremely rare for a gator to bite a manatee, let alone attack.    In this unlikely hypothetical scenario I would root for the manatee.  I believe manatees have been misunderstood and are in some trouble as a species.

Manatees wouldn’t be in this situation if they just focused

[StillAWarrior]

It's extremely rare for a gator to bite a manatee, let alone attack.    In this unlikely hypothetical scenario I would root for the manatee.  I believe manatees have been misunderstood and are in some trouble as a species.

Well, if it’s rare or unlikely, that would seem to suggest that the manatee trifled with or provoked the gator. So, it had it coming. These things don’t happen unless the gator is provoked.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

What would you think of a gator that attacked a manatee?  Who would you root for?

Surf and turf.

[MuggsyB]

Well, if it’s rare or unlikely, that would seem to suggest that the manatee trifled with or provoked the gator. So, it had it coming. These things don’t happen unless the gator is provoked.

I was simply thinking out loud and asked a question to begin this thread. Now you and others are just being silly.  The fact is the numbers are like 1 in 3 million for a gator to bite a human.  This unfortunate event is more like 1 in 100 million.  So therefore it's perfectly reasonable to ask about what happened. 

[tower912]

442 between 1948 and 2021.   26 deaths.  One fatal attack roughly every 3 years.

[real chili 83]

😱

[StillAWarrior]

I was simply thinking out loud and asked a question to begin this thread. Now you and others are just being silly.  The fact is the numbers are like 1 in 3 million for a gator to bite a human.  This unfortunate event is more like 1 in 100 million.  So therefore it's perfectly reasonable to ask about what happened.

What are the numbers for a gator to bite a manatee? If it's rare -- as you yourself stated -- isn't it perfectly reasonable to ask about what happened? How the manatee provoked the attack?


The reason you get pushback on this issue is because all your perfectly reasonable questions after animal attacks follow a common pattern. Earlier, you were asked, "Who would you root for?" Over an extended period of time, you've made it abundantly clear who you would root for in pretty much every animal/human interaction. It's predictable enough at this point that it's become a punchline. We're just having some fun with you.

[muwarrior69]

We used to have a place like less than a mile away from there and golfed at a course like two blocks from there.

There were gators in those ponds all the time. I would imagine she provoked it in some way. Gators are incredibly chill if you just leave them alone.

Winter of '96 was extremely cold. Our team attended a seminar in Tampa at a golf course resort whose name I can't recall. All the rooms  were ground level with outdoor entry. One evening the temperature dropped to 28 degrees which was a low temperature record at the time. The next morning when I opened the door to my room to go down to the conference center not one but two gators raced right past me into my room I imagine to get warm. They were small gators about 3 to 4 feet but they sure scared the crap out of me. I called security from my co-workers phone in the next room to make sure house keeping was aware that they should not enter my room.

[MuggsyB]

What are the numbers for a gator to bite a manatee? If it's rare -- as you yourself stated -- isn't it perfectly reasonable to ask about what happened? How the manatee provoked the attack?


The reason you get pushback on this issue is because all your perfectly reasonable questions after animal attacks follow a common pattern. Earlier, you were asked, "Who would you root for?" Over an extended period of time, you've made it abundantly clear who you would root for in pretty much every animal/human interaction. It's predictable enough at this point that it's become a punchline. We're just having some fun with you.

Okay.  I have admitted I am biased in most of these confrontations. 

[pbiflyer]

Winter of '96 was extremely cold. Our team attended a seminar in Tampa at a golf course resort whose name I can't recall. All the rooms  were ground level with outdoor entry. One evening the temperature dropped to 28 degrees which was a low temperature record at the time. The next morning when I opened the door to my room to go down to the conference center not one but two gators raced right past me into my room I imagine to get warm. They were small gators about 3 to 4 feet but they sure scared the crap out of me. I called security from my co-workers phone in the next room to make sure house keeping was aware that they should not enter my room.

[NCMUFan]

Winter of '96 was extremely cold. Our team attended a seminar in Tampa at a golf course resort whose name I can't recall. All the rooms  were ground level with outdoor entry. One evening the temperature dropped to 28 degrees which was a low temperature record at the time. The next morning when I opened the door to my room to go down to the conference center not one but two gators raced right past me into my room I imagine to get warm. They were small gators about 3 to 4 feet but they sure scared the crap out of me. I called security from my co-workers phone in the next room to make sure house keeping was aware that they should not enter my room.

That is a great story.