The tragedy: Two-year old boy snatched by an alligator. Here are some more facts. ©Natalie Keshing at natswritings.com
Video Footage of the tragic accident. Signs are now posted for alligators in man made lakes at the Disney World Resort. The family of the little boy are completely devastated.
After 17 hours yesterday’s terrible news that an alligator had snatched a two year old child playing at one of Disney’s World Resorts man-made lakes, his body was recovered intact. It is very sad news and scary because it happened within a fraction of a second.
It was reported that there are 1,000,000 alligators in Florida. Florida’s square footage is 65,755 miles. Take the 1,000,000 alligators divide that by 65,755 there are approximately 15 alligators per square mile. 15 alligators occupying a space of a square mile. They don’t normally attack human beings. They indicated that alligators usually prey upon raccoons or dogs.
They can also jump 5 feet into the air to snatch their food. I witnessed this at a Florida alligator farm while staying at the Disney World Resort. People were witnessing caretakers holding a piece of meat five feet above the alligator’s pond and an alligator jumping vertically 5 feet up into the air snatching their food.
Alligator protection laws: An alligator is a member of the crocodile family. Alligators have survived on earth for 200 million years and their color is usually black which gives them the perfect camouflage in the evening hours and in dark water.
In the 1950s there was a low population of alligators due to market hunting and habitat loss. However by 1987 the alligator population grew and recovered, making it one of the first endangered species success story.
We don’t often hear about an alligator snatching a human being; especially an innocent child playing in water. It was reported that the father tried with all his strength to open the jaws of the alligator to release his son. It was also said that no human could pry the jaws open of an alligator, the only thing you can do is poke the alligator in it’s eyes or hit the tip of the alligator’s snout very hard.
People do need to take precautionary measures and always remain vigilant of your surroundings especially at night near the swamp waters or man-made lakes. Alligators can be found throughout the Southeast from the Carolinas to Texas and north to Arkansas.
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©Natalie Keshing, Editor-in-Chief at natswritings.com or nataliekeshing.com