Crocs at Magic Kingdom!?!

[dsny1998]

Hey all.....

I had posted this in my trip report, but i guess no one reponded. Anyway, while at Magic Kingdom last week, we noticed a small crocodile in the lake/river by splash mountain......i was a bit alarmed by this and wondered if this was ok, so a friend mentioned it to a security guard and he said he knew about it...and the mother and father are also there too. Doesnt this seem weird?.....is it safe to have a family of crocodiles in the river at Magic Kingdom?....

 

[Maria]

You can call me crazy and I don´t know if this is true, but someone told me once that to keep the amount of ducks in the Epcot lagoon at normal levels, they would bring a small aligator or crocodile -whatever it is!- to do the job... I repeat... I don´t really know if its true or not.
:animwink:

 

[DisJosh]

Pretty much every body of water in Florida has Aligators in it. It's very normal...there's nothign Disney can really do. That's where they live. If they were to try and remove Aligators from all their waters animal rights activists would be breathing down Disneyes necks.

And just to clarify it was an aligator you saw not a crocodile.

 

[dsny1998]

.......i know almost every body of water does have alligators living there, but in disney.....how would they get in the magic kingdom? Couldnt this be a safety risk to the guests?

 

[JungleJim]

Be careful and keep your arms in the boat. The Crocs are always looking for a hand out! Get it .....hand out!! I love the Jungle Cruise Jokes!:lol:

 

[Fievel]

Originally posted by dsny1998
.......i know almost every body of water does have alligators living there, but in disney.....how would they get in the magic kingdom? Couldnt this be a safety risk to the guests?

Remember that there is a waterway connection from the MK to the 7 seas lagoon and surround waters.

I really don't see how this is a safety concern...if guests leave them alone, they'll leave the guests alone.

 

[DBF John]

Imagine the shock and horror of a child that see's a duck get chomped up by a croc they had just fed some popcorn to a few moments before..........

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

There are indeed crocs in the water at Disney. My Aunt told me some years ago about seeing one at the campgrounds.

 

[niteobsrvr]

Hey Folks,

Welcome to Florida.

We dont have Crocodiles.

We do have alligators.

If you look at maps or aerial photos of Disney you will notice that all the waterways on Disney property are somehow connected to each other and to water that is not on Disney Property.

The alligators roam where they please all across the state of Florida and they aren't limited to just waterways. They can walk and run. This they quite often do to travel from one body of water to another. If you are ever driving around down here, you will occasionally see one in a retention pond at a highway interchange.

Occasionally Disney will move them if they prove to be a nuisance but in many cases they are in areas where both guests and cast members cannot come into contact with them easily. And, contrary to many misconceptions they won't come chasing after you unless ofcourse you provoke them.

As far as alligators eating ducks, well, I personally have never seen it but I am sure it can happen. Just look at it as an opportunity to explain to your children how animals really survive in the wild. Not every duck has a popcorn popper and not every alligator likes ducks.

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by DBF John
Imagine the shock and horror of a child that see's a duck get chomped up by a croc they had just fed some popcorn to a few moments before..........

Crocodiles are not indigenous to Florida. The chances of finding one in the wild here are about as unlikely as finding them in most other states. The only way it could happen is if it was released from captivity (like from a zoo)… We have alligators. Why does it matter what it is? For one thing, alligators don’t get to be as big as crocodiles. The other, more important thing is that alligators are MUCH less aggressive. There are only two reasons to be afraid of alligators: 1. It’s mating season and you are around a good number of them – hormones have the same effect on those silly young gators as they do on human teenagers. 2. The really stupid reason – people feed them. Normally, gators tend to have a healthy fear of humans but some people (not just tourists) think it’s cute to feed them, particularly when they are just those little ones that are three feet or less in length. People think they are “cute”. What they fail to realize is that the three foot gator then begins to loose it’s fear of humans and associates them with food (like squirrels or ducks or SEAGULS or pretty much any other wild animal that people like to feed) The problem with the three foot gator is that once he gets to be a six or seven foot gator, people tend to think he’s not so cute and stop feeding him even though he still associates them with food. I like to call this the grown up child star phenomenon. Unlike the former child stars destined to a life of hard drug abuse and perhaps a touch of domestic violence, the gator just decides to go after your little yappy dog or your children or in a pinch, after mom and dad. Then they have to be trapped and killed… My guess would be that Disney keeps a good eye on the ones you see in guest areas. If any of them start to get too cozy with guests, I’m sure they get rid of them… Wonder where they go? Take the walking tour in the Land some time. It’s cheap (like $6 and it’s a 100% donation for research) and you’ll find out what they do with the ones you see on the boat ride there in captivity when they get to be too big.

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

Sorry, Alligators.

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by niteobsrvr
Hey Folks,

Welcome to Florida.

We dont have Crocodiles.

We do have alligators.

Guess you beat me to the punch with that one.

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by Kingdom Konsultant
Sorry, Alligators.

You aren’t the first one in this thread to refer to them as crocodiles. It’s not like it’s offensive to the people of Florida or anything. It’s just that they are two different animals from two different parts of the world with two very different behavior patterns which is signifigant. That Australian guy’s show would have a lot less action on it if he were the gator hunter.

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

And the worst thing is, I know the difference!
I just followed suit after someone else called them crocs.
I guess I watch too much crocodile hunter! LOL!

 

[Michael72688]

Crocs dont live hear!

 

[dsny1998]

hehe.......... sorry, the whole crocs alligators is my fault. i started the thread....

the blame's on me.

 

[tenchu]

Originally posted by DBF John
Imagine the shock and horror of a child that see's a duck get chomped up by a croc they had just fed some popcorn to a few moments before..........

Shouldn't be feeding ducks popcorn anyway.

 

[DisJosh]

LOL I mentioned they were alligators not crocs in the second reply to this thread. Goes to show how many of you read nothing before you post.

 

[tenchu]

Originally posted by DisJosh
LOL I mentioned they were alligators not crocs in the second reply to this thread. Goes to show how many of you read nothing before you post.

Touchy touchy. :lol: :animwink:

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by DisJosh
LOL I mentioned they were alligators not crocs in the second reply to this thread. Goes to show how many of you read nothing before you post.

Actually, I read everything but the post that the person before me was about to post when I started writing my post… Apparently, I just wasn’t reading too closely because there it is – plain as day.