Disney World's ongoing battle against 'nuisance' alligators

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

World | Thu Jun 23, 2016 10:43am EDT

Disney World's ongoing battle against 'nuisance' alligators

BY JEFFREY DASTIN

Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) has had more than 240 "nuisance" alligators captured and killed over the last 10 years at its Florida theme park property, according to state records.

The records reveal the park's constant struggle to keep alligators away from humans in a region where the creatures live and breed.

Last week, a 2-year-old boy at the Walt Disney World Resort died after an alligator attack at the edge of a hotel lagoon. Critics questioned why Disney hadn't posted signs warning guests of the presence of alligators in the area; the company has since installed such signage.

"You'll never be able to get them all," said Florida trapper Ron Ziemba, who helped trap and kill nuisance alligators on Disney World property for five years until late 2015. "There are just so many canals, so many waterways. The gators travel a lot."

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-alligator-disney-idUSKCN0Z91IY

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

1. A friend of mine lives in a golf course community

with natural and man-made waterways, and it is not unusual for golfers to see an alligator crossing over the course to get from one waterway to another. The biggest one even has a name: Big John! This neighborhood is in Texas, but I understand that this kind of thing is more common in Florida.

We all know that Disney was negligent in not posting signs about the alligators, and the family of the victim is going to get a huge settlement. I hope they can find peace someday.

[lapfog_1]

2. Disney's first mistake was picking Florida for a theme park

[liberal N proud]

3. We build in the middle of a swamp and it's the alligators who are nuisance?

It is the same thing in the northeast with bears.

[FLPanhandle]

4. +1000

It's never the humans fault.

[FLPanhandle]

5. Disney will embark on mass gator killings now

Before they may only gone after what they considered nuisance gators, but now they will be actively killing all gators over a few feet in length.

Too bad. Gators are an endangered species act success story coming back from near extinction due to human hunting.

[nolabear]

6. It's entirely possible for them to relocate gators, but I'll bet they don't.

It's not like animals have ever played a part in making Disney gazillions of dollars, so what do they owe them?