Alligator in the water around tom sawyers island....

unkadug

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
In somewhat related news: :lookaroun :lol:

WDWMagic's Truth is Stranger than Fiction Dept.

Naked man on crack when alligator attacked

November 30, 2006

LAKELAND -- A man who was attacked by an alligator this morning was naked and smoking crack at the time, Polk County deputies who rescued him said today.

The alligator had the man in his jaws when deputies arrived at Lake Parker in Lakeland about 4 a.m. today. They were called by nearby residents who reported hearing a man yelling for help.

The first deputy on the scene was unable to free the man, Adrian J. Apgar, from the alligator's mouth. It wasn't until 3 or 4 of them were in chest-deep water that they were able to pull him free after the tug-of-war.

Apgar, 45, of Polk City, suffered a broken arm, partially amputated left arm and trauma to his left leg. Doctors are trying to reattach the arm at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where was listed in critical condition.

"We don't know whether he'll make it or not," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

According to a news release from the Polk Sheriff's Office, "The very dark conditions and risk of injuring the victim made shooting the alligator impossible, leaving deputies to contend with their own safety after becoming exhausted in waist deep mud. All deputies made it out of the water without injury."

State fish and wildlife officials captured an 11-foot alligator that they think was the biter.

Deputy Billy Osborne first heard the man's cries for help but couldn't see him through the thick brush and dark sky.

"'I have two broken arms and an alligator's got me pinned. I can't move. Please help me,'" the Polk County deputy sheriff related at a news conference today.

As Osborne listened, he followed the voice through more than 20 yards of brush in Lake Parker's murky, chest-deep water about 4 a.m.

Then he saw them: a naked man crouched down in the jaws of an alligator amidst thick cattails in bloodied water.

Other deputies pursued, following the man's cries, Osborne's voice and the sounds of the alligator thrashing around in the water.

Osborne grabbed onto the man's arm and tried to pull him free.

"We were pretty much playing tug-of-war," Osborne, 26, said.

After about 30 seconds, the alligator released the man.

Judd said Apgar told deputies he was smoking crack-cocaine at the adjacent park, but it was unclear why he was naked or why he was attacked by the alligator.

No one answered the door of Apgar's home in rural community and neighbors knew little about him.
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from http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...06-bk,0,1463816.story?coll=orl-home-headlines
 
U

Urbish

New Member
Yeah, there's apparently gators in the Rivers of America quite often. When I was a CP last year my trainer told me to watch the bridges sometimes to stop people from being stupid. Not only do people apparently feed the gators, but occasionally people do think they're an animatronic and hold their kids over the ledge to get a closer look.

I never saw it being done, but I wouldn't be too surprised.
 
v_misses_epcot

v_misses_epcot

Member
Urbish said:
Yeah, there's apparently gators in the Rivers of America quite often. When I was a CP last year my trainer told me to watch the bridges sometimes to stop people from being stupid. Not only do people apparently feed the gators, but occasionally people do think they're an animatronic and hold their kids over the ledge to get a closer look.

I never saw it being done, but I wouldn't be too surprised.
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Guest let their children climb all over Innoventions Towers....yeah, I wouldn't be too suprised as well. :brick:

And please if you see people feeding them, please report it to a nearby castmember. Gators aren't supposed to eat turkey legs or fries or even hamburgers, they'll get too friendly and come closer. =( resulting in killing the gator if he/she gets out of hand.
 
PhotoDave219

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
Computer Magic said:
you mean this one? Taken in the back of Flame Tree in Sept 2006. Why do they have to destroy? Why not capture and release?
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Yup Sherm, thats the guy. They destroy because the gator could have started to associate food with people... which in it's brain means people=food. Take it up with the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission.
 
jasonchas

jasonchas

Member
Number_6 said:
Right now I live in Massachusetts. We don't have a gator problem up here. Up here though, our big animal problem is coyotes. They're becoming as common as gators in Florida.
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I live in Rhode Island and we have the same problem. Last year my neighbors dog was grabbed by one and they never found the puppy. A few months later I was taking out the trash and I saw a coyote playing at the edge of the woods. I ran like a 5 year old girl.
 
C

CatLady

New Member
Computer Magic said:
you mean this one? Taken in the back of Flame Tree in Sept 2006. Why do they have to destroy? Why not capture and release?
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According to http://myfwc.com/gators/nuisance.htm " The Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program is administered by the Division of Hunting and Game Management through contracts between the Commission and nuisance alligator trappers. Approximately 40 private trappers are contracted to remove specific nuisance alligators. Individuals may call the toll-free number to submit complaints regarding nuisance alligators. The Commission will evaluate the complaint and determine if the alligator should be removed by a licensed nuisance alligator trapper. This program permits the harvest of alligators that are determined to be a threat to the welfare of the public, or the public’s pets, livestock, or property. "

I think the short answer to your question is "because they can." And the longer answer has to do with the fact that there isn't really anywhere to take them in Florida to release them that does not already have a full population of alligators to begin with.
 
Clark Griswold

Clark Griswold

Member
I personally saw this alligator on my last trip in August. I spotted it in the Rivers of America as I was walking with my family across the bridge connecting Frontierland and Liberty Square. I mentioned something to my Dad and he saw it too. It definitely didn't look like an animatronic!!!


"Thanks for Soarin' with us."
 
elle72688

elle72688

Member
Computer Magic said:
you mean this one? Taken in the back of Flame Tree in Sept 2006. Why do they have to destroy? Why not capture and release?
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I saw the same guy in September over in Asia kinda by Flights of Wonder:
P1010139.jpg

Of course some idiot had to come feed him popcorn
P1010147.jpg
 
mrtoad

mrtoad

Well-Known Member
jasonchas said:
I live in Rhode Island and we have the same problem. Last year my neighbors dog was grabbed by one and they never found the puppy. A few months later I was taking out the trash and I saw a coyote playing at the edge of the woods. I ran like a 5 year old girl.
Click to expand...

I live in Northern NJ and we have had black bear issues for the past several or more years. 2-3 years ago somebody near us had llamas and a bear dragged one off. Also 2 towns away where my mother lives one approached a small child on a front porch and lastly my wife's cousin had one actually push in her screen door to her kitchen while she was in there cooking. She started yelling and banging some pots and it ran off.
 

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