Gators at our Vacation Home

Small Gator Sunning Himself

December 9, 2011

Our vacation home is located in a beautiful park-like setting, gated resort with two award winning golf courses.  There are many natural and man made bodies of water that attract a wide variety of waterfowl and wildlife.  One of the most commonly seen is the alligator.  In most cases the gators will not bother humans unless they are provoked.  It is possible to get fairly close to them especially on the golf courses but it is very important to remember these are wild animals that will not hesitate to attack if they feel threatened or are provoked.  Problems do arise if someone has been feeding a gator then the park has to remove it for the safety of the community.  Homeowners and most of their guests know not to feed the gators but some like us rent our vacation home out when we aren't using it so occasionally a renter will feed a gator.  There are signs posted to not feed the gators and we included the same instructions in the informational binder we leave out for our renters.

I personally have a healthy respect for gators much the same as I do for other wildlife.  I love taking pictures of the gators from the safety of our golf cart or car.  I don't go close to the edge of the water either.  Quite often a gator is resting just below the surface of the water with only his eyes showing.  When I go for my daily walks I stay in areas that don't come close to the water either.  Other than that I enjoy the gators and always look forward to a photo opportunity with them as the subject.

Garden Gnome
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