Biting the hand that feeds you Sunday, July 06, 2008
"I just felt a sensation like a huge pair of needle-nosed pliers grip down on my back arm." Those are the words of an 18-year-old Florida man who fought off an 11-foot alligator... unfortunately losing his left arm in the process. While late night swimming in a lake, the man was attacked and eventually warded off the gator by jamming his finger into its eye. Many times, incidents like this are a direct result of tourists coming into the area and feeding the gators by throwing food out to them. Eventually, they become more and more comfortable around humans – which has proven to be a very dangerous result. As wildlife enthusiasts, we urge everyone out there to use common sense and steer clear of alligators at all cost. In fact, this rule applies for all wildlife. Diminishing their natural fear of humans is risky and could lead to some very unfortunate results... like the animals choosing to bite the hand that feeds them (in this case, literally).
