Good grief! I'm tired of these idiots taking in exotic pets that they later decide they don't want, and letting them loose on society and our native animals/creatures. It seems everything like that that comes from Africa or Asia is more vicious or invasive, and harms or wipes out our native species and harms our environment, and even people, in some cases. Even the ships that travel from overseas seem to bring back mussels and other species that cause problems. Here's some information on how the Great Lakes have been affected: http://www.regions.noaa.gov/great-l...akes-restoration-initiative/invasive-species/ and we have the same issue here in Texas with the zebra mussels and other species, as well. Here's some information on the lengths Texans and others using the waterways in Texas have to go, to prevent the transfer of such creatures from one waterway to another: http://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/boat/protect_water/
I, for one, happen to like alligators! I like the jowls cubed and pounded out and added to gumbo with some spicy endouille and even the endouille can be made from jowl meat. The side meat is great for the grill and deep fried and come to think of it, so is the jowl meat but it's a little tougher. The hide is good for boots, shoes, belts, hats and hat bands, whew.........boy do I like gators! Dat croc in de piktoor is perty big yep but wit de nife I can make it jus a Babette! Dat camon copy can make me some good stuff from dat yeah.........!
Our lake is warmer than the average because it is the cooling resevoir for a nuclear plant. It is warm a good bit of the year. I always get nervous that someone could put gators in the water here,,because truthfully, I am pretty sure they would live. Normally they aren't found any further North than Northern NC..there are some in the Outerbanks area,,but truthfully that isn't that far from here..if you didn't take the interstates I think it would take less than 4 hours to get there...from here. That reminds me, I am gonna google Lake Gaston which is on the VA/ NC border to see if any have shown up there.
I watched a documentary once about animals that were thriving in the cooling reservoir for a nuclear plant somewhere in the country, and I think alligators were among them. I can't remember where it was now, though.
The beach just north of my neighborhood beach was closed recently because a gator was seen swimming in the water and heading toward the shore, where many children were playing/splashing/swimming. I haven't heard, but I assume it's been reopened by now. Then, just after that, another alligator was seen in the water down in Galveston. Experts think the reason the gators have been swimming at the saltwater beaches is due to the high volume of rain we've had lately, which has flooded the bayous which flow into the bays. It's unusual, but not unheard of. A few years ago, one was found on our neighborhood beach, but it was dead. The assumption was that it had become over salinated and died from too much exposure to the saltwater.
The majority of the inner water supply of Louisiana is "brackish," or a combination of salt and fresh waters. Alligators, crawfish, oysters and a miriade of fish whether predominately salt or fresh water borne are prevalent and give those seafoods the special flavor that is much sought after in the fish markets. Tourists have tried to copy the tastes that are created in the Louisiana / Cajun / Creole cuisines by adding spices and herbs to the mix (which we also use) but the secret is in the water that the meat is pulled from. The funny thing about reptiles is the fact that when they are introduced to a new environment, all it takes is a generation or two (and some inbreeding obviously) in order to make the previously undesired environment the more preferable living area.
This is a story of self-control and marksmanship by a brave, cool-headed woman with a small pistol against a fierce predator. What is the smallest caliber that you would trust to protect yourself? A Beretta Jetfire testimonial.... Here is her story in her own words: "While out walking along the edge of a pond just outside my house in The Villages with my soon to be ex-husband discussing property settlement and other divorce issues, we were surprised by a huge 12-ft. alligator which suddenly emerged from the murky water and began charging us with its large jaws wide open. She must have been protecting her nest because she was extremely aggressive. If I had not had my little Beretta Jetfire .25 caliber pistol with me, I would not be here today! Just one shot to my estranged husband's knee cap was all it took.... The 'gator got him easily and I was able to escape by just walking away at a brisk pace. It's one of the best pistols in my collection! Plus the amount I saved in lawyer's fees was really incredible. His insurance was the big bonus. I’m financially comfortable now
We love wildlife but not that wild and not that near. I don't think we can live peacefully when there is an alligator lurking nearby. And what if it would snatch one of my dogs? That would be scary for sure. But I guess you are tolerating that gator for its wildlife appeal, @Diane Lane, so it stays in that water hole and it comes with the floodwaters, huh. That means it's not a good idea to walk on a flooded street. I remember last year when we came home late at night. Our car's headlight was focused on the street while waiting for our housemaid to open the gate. We noticed a black thing slithering on the road - a snake of about 5 feet long. It came from the vacant lot beside our property and crossing the road to the vacant lot on the other side. Our housemaids were terrified and were scared of going to our extended garden for they say the snake might be there.
With the possible exception of some of the things that mankind has invented, everything in nature serves a purpose in the ecosystem, including alligators. I've lost two cats to fox, but we also have coyotes and dogs that might pose a threat to our smaller pets, yet I'm sure that fox serve a purpose and, indeed, I enjoy seeing the fox that show up on my wildlife cameras and, for their part, my cats pose a threat to birds, mice and, as I learned twice in the past couple of days, butterflies. Well, actually only one of my cats since my older ones never killed anything in their younger days let alone now, but you get the idea.
Ha ha, love it, @Sheldon Scott! @Corie Henson This is gator territory, and we also have other large predators, such as huge wild hogs, coyotes, snakes, etc. They've made a resurgence in the recent years. There have been many pets that have gone missing over the years, due to being taken as prey. It's something people here accept, since it was originally their land, and we've taken it over with our homes, parks, etc. As @Ken Anderson mentioned, it's the cycle of life. I keep my cats indoors where they're safe, but I do worry about the stray cats I feed. They are part feral, and there's really no way to corral them, after having grown up on the streets of this neighborhood. People unfamiliar with the area who move here will often toss sticks into the waterways for their dogs to fetch, and are then horrified when a gator attacks their pet, and call for something to be done.
Oh, oh, that's a risky place you are in. I was born and raised in a city apartment so maybe my orientation with urban life makes me stunned by that scenario where you live with gators and other predators. But in fairness to your place, those animals would be good fodder for the camera and I'm sure my husband would have a great time there. However, I still cannot come to terms with the possibility of losing a pet to those predators so my chance to live in a place like that is nil.
Oh, I agree @Corie Henson. I would never reconcile myself to losing a pet in that manner. Some sort of predator got one of the strays I was feeding last year, and I'm still not over it. That little stinker was such a beautiful kitty, but was feral, and felt the need to wander profusely. I found out about it on the neighborhood Facebook group. Without the group, I would never have known what happened, and perhaps that would have been better, but at least I know. There's no way I would let my pets roam around outside. I used to walk them in the front yard on a leash. I tried taking two of them out at one time, and that was too hectic, so I cut it back to one at a time, and that was secured on a leash, in a fenced yard. I've had my cats leap 7' tall fences in the past, and also try to leap off the balcony into the nearby tree, so I've learned to be very careful. Many of the people here just don't have the same attitude about their pets (or often, about their children), and I will never understand that attitude. I also grew up in a city, although in a house with a fairly decent sized backyard. When the next city over started construction in a wooded area, it displaced the animals, and we started seeing skunks, raccoons and other animals in our neighborhood, so that's how I became acquainted with wildlife. I've always enjoyed seeing the milder variety of wildlife, and with them comes the less soft and fuzzy variety. The gators don't roam the streets here for the most part, but they and snakes are more prevalent when there's a lot of rain and flooding, both of which have been happening on a fairly regular basis over the past few years.
I can't imagine walking two cats on a leash, since they would rarely want to go in the same direction. I have had only one cat that I could walk in a harness and leash. She hated it too, but since that was the only way she could get outside while we were living in Fayetteville, North Carolina, she put up with it. You don't really reconcile it, at least not in the sense that you get over it. I see it as a matter of weighing the risks against the quality of life. I have tried keeping my cats in the house, and have done so while living in places where the risks were too great, but they were miserable. I would never let them wander our woods up north because they aren't at all equipped to defend themselves against some of the creatures that live there, and there are altogether too many dangers. Here at home, the dangers are fewer. There are most always dangers, however. Fox wander the abandoned railroad line behind our house at night, for example; and there are raccoons around at night. So I don't let them out at night, and check on them regularly during the day, having them come in every hour or so, to keep them from wandering too far. When I see them near the front of the house, where the road is, I'll bring them in. Cats don't understand punishment in the right way but, in time, they come to realize that whenever I see them near the front yard, I bring them in, so they don't often go there.
I don't think cats are miserable in the house if that is all they have ever known. My cat is very scared of the outdoors..a couple of times he has gotten outside and started meowing hysterically. I mean, I think he is curious about the outdoors, but I don't want to give him a taste of it. I had an indoor cat that I used to let explore the outdoors from time to time, and one time he went out when the door was open and got lost. I never saw him again. Most vets agree that keeping cats inside is the way to a longer life. Plus I don't want any "surprises" from outdoors.