Residents Upset After Alligator Is Stabbed In The Head

[matcom]

<snip>

SARASOTA, Fla. -- People who live in a Sarasota neighborhood say someone has attacked their unusual mascot. They say the alligator that lives in their pond hasn't hurt anything, not even ducks that land on the water.

Residents are so affectionate with the gator they named it Elvis. But, Sunday, one neighbor says she saw Elvis swim by after he clearly had been attacked.

"I saw a knife and I thought, 'Well, what is that?' I had no idea. I got a little closer and all of a sudden, I realized it was Elvis with a knife sticking out of the top of his head," says

Florida Fish and Wildlife says it's a third degree felony to injure an alligator. They're now deciding if they'll try to get Elvis in a wildlife refuge or put him out.

http://www.wftv.com/newsofthestrange/3852172/detail.html

[montana500]

1. wtf is wrong with people? nm

nm

[ibegurpard]

2. What kind of fucking idiot would get close enough to an alligator

to stab it with a knife?

[Dr.Phool]

3. We have a 14 footer

in the golf course pond around the corner of my house. Doesn't bother anyone.

[ibegurpard]

5. But my question remains

would you feel comfortable getting close enough to an alligator to do something like that? I certainly wouldn't. If I lived in that neighborhood, I would've called animal control or something to have them move it.
Stabbing it was a fucking sick thing to do that happens all too often in this country...what I really can't understand is how someone could be stupid enough to get that close.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

4. well, not that the alligator deserved it...

but that alligator WAS hurting something...unless they were feeding it. Ya gotta eat...

theProdigal

[yellowcanine]

6. Meanwhile, 20 black bears bit the dust in Maryland yesterday

in the first bear hunting season in about 75 years. State officials stopped the hunt even though the quota of 30 hadn't been reached because they were afraid of the public outcry if they went over the quota. The first bear killed was an 86 pound female. I honestly don't know how I feel about this. Too many bears can be a nuisance but I have to wonder if we couldn't shoot just the nuisance bears and teach people how to avoid creating nuisance bears by feeding them, leaving garbage unsecured, etc.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

7. My Mom lives in Lake Tahoe...

and they have bears. Lots of them. In fact, Mom's had bears walking along her back fence, passing by the front door, dragging her garbage can across the street -- heck, she sees bears just about any old time.

And guess what? It's no big deal.

You quickly learn there are things you do and things you don't that effect the bears. It's not rocket science, it's easily done, and it saves the bears and the people. Yes, they still have nuisance bears but even they can be taken care of in a way that doesn't require they be shot.

People just over-react to wildlife, IMO. We can and should just learn to get along with our neighbors.

[blindpig]

8. ain't too many bears

but there's way too many people.