2 more women killed by gators in Florida... that make 3 woman in one week! If this were a serial killer, there would be hundreds working on the case.

[Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska]

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[Brian(upstateNY)]

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[Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska]

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[Ed SW Fla]

They are very hungry, eating everything slower than them, bulking up from being more dormant during the cooler winter season. Now that its getting warm again, mating season is going full blast.

Some very stupid people actually feed gators thus making them not afraid of people ... fed gators look upon people as food sources. When you get too close to fresh water pond / stream / canal areas and aren't being careful, you can easily get grabbed and dragged into the water, drowned, and eaten.

We've lived on a brackish water canal since 1994 and have seen gators by our dock 3 times. One time was when I was planning to get in the water to wire up my boat lift under the dock. I fortunately saw the 6 foot gator before entering the water.

When I called the gator nuisance toll free number, (I think it was 1-800-GET-DEAD) I was asked if the gator had attacked or eaten any people or pets. When I said not yet, they told me to call back when it did and hung up on me.

Since it is illegal to use a firearm here in the city, I got out my home made potato shooter (which will loft a spud several hundred yards) and blasted that bad boy right between his eyes. He swam away at gator warp speed and I finished the electrical work under the dock several hours later with the help of a friend ... who happens to swim a lot slower than me.

 

[Ed SW Fla]

When we drive it we try to count the gators we see sunning themselves on the banks of the canal - borrow pits dug to build up the highway. We can usually count over 100 in the winter and many more in warmer weather. Must be Gazillions of them further back in the swamps.

Only the very brave or very stupid would climb the fence to get a closer look.
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[Lawrence in Alabama]

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[Brian(upstateNY)]

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[John in Florida]

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[Fred/in Fla.]

I take my familey to Juniper run most every year. Why? Because it is one of the most taxing trips around. The park does not tend the canoe run and if a tree has fallen over the run, you portage over it or around it. In other words you 'Get out of the Boat'. Gators are always present and some are quite large but leave you alone for the most part. I am always a little nervous when they are near though, mainly because my wife is not the best canoeist going. She tends to lean alot. Last year at the same spot, which is the take out point for the trip, a lady walking her 2dogs in the water struggled with a gator that got one of the dogs, a Pit about 55lbs. This area is a popular local swimming hole about 1.5mi above Lake George. Lots of gators so you must keep all of your eyes open.At the start of the run the park tells you that the run is not for amatures and that you are likely to see gators. Also unless you have a well waterproofed cell phone with you, there is no getting help quickley as you are near no roads till the end of the run. Sure is a beautiful canoe run though.