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Six-Foot Alligator Nabbed; Neighborhood Dog Missing
WPLG-TV South Florida | June 24, 2002

Posted on 06/24/2002 12:43:31 PM PDT by Shermy

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. -- A South Florida trapper found and captured a six-foot alligator in a back yard today, but a neighborhood dog is still missing. "The alligator was found earlier today just wandering this neighborhood," said trapper Todd Hardwick (pictured, left). "This is the busy season for alligators. When the rains come, the alligators come. It's nothing to be alarmed about. It's just part of living in South Florida."

But that's a part of the South Florida lifestyle that Elaine Kelley would rather do without. The gator was found on her property this morning.

"It scare me out of my wits ... I don't know how I'm going to face my back yard from this day because that is scary," Kelley said.

Hardwick says the gator was in search of food and may have found something.

"He very obviously located something. There's a large animal in this alligator's stomach," said Hardwick.

The gator will be taken to a local processing center where the contents of its stomach will be examined. Some neighbors think the animal may have eaten a local dog.

"I'm very upset. That dog has become a part of our family for four or five years now," said Evet Clarke, who hasn't seen her Chihuahua for a couple days. "We just let him out for awhile ... and when he didn't show up I said, 'That's it. He's not coming back.'"


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: alligator
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To: NautiNurse
LOL--you are TOO BAD!!
21 posted on 06/24/2002 2:06:28 PM PDT by scholar
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To: Shermy

Taste like chicken!


22 posted on 06/24/2002 2:09:03 PM PDT by Pokey78
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To: Shermy
The gators never seem to eat cats. Is it the taste or because cats are too smart?
23 posted on 06/24/2002 2:11:53 PM PDT by dennisw
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To: dennisw
I think cats are smarter, in general. The really dumb ones that get coddled alot never leave the house, so they are more protected.
24 posted on 06/24/2002 2:16:19 PM PDT by mamelukesabre
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To: NautiNurse
Heeeere, leezard, leezard, leezard...
25 posted on 06/24/2002 2:17:26 PM PDT by Redcloak
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To: Shermy
Letting a chihuahua run free to fend for itself is not always the best of ideas, PETA notwithstanding. Unless you're rooting for the hawks, that is...
26 posted on 06/24/2002 2:20:01 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Shermy
"It scare me out of my wits ... I don't know how I'm going to face my back yard from this day because that is scary," Kelley said.

Mabye she should move back up north, since there's no way in hell she's a native.

27 posted on 06/24/2002 2:21:24 PM PDT by adx
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To: scholar
Get over it or move lady!!

Precisely!...I grew up on the northeast coast, but have lived in many places since. Now in the CO Rockies for the past 11 years and see bear, cats (big ones), wolves and coyotes pretty regularly...and lovin' it.

Right now my fear out here is stupid people who start raging forest fires, one of which is about 20 miles from me as we speak...Missionary Ridge.

I have little fear of the wild animals, except when they are in panic by things created by stupid people.

TO ALL: Please pray for rain to come to us flyover people out here...it's getting pretty scary....Thanks

FMCDH

28 posted on 06/24/2002 2:26:19 PM PDT by nothingnew
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To: nothingnew
Please pray for rain to come to us flyover people out here...it's getting pretty scary....Thanks

I pray for you folks everyday.

Yes, if you choose to live somewhere where there is a diversity of wildlife than you have to deal with it.

When I lived in CO, my friend's husband was a Jeffco cop. He got a call to the foothills one day because some dim bulb shot a bear because it was walking across his property! Didn't kill the bear however, so now there was an injured/enraged bear wandering around the foothills.

I can't stand these people--if they don't want to deal with the realities of nature, they should have stayed in NY, LA, Chicago or wherever.
29 posted on 06/24/2002 2:38:34 PM PDT by scholar
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To: scholar; Billthedrill
A hawk was circling my cat in my own backyard ..he was only about 20 feet high........I have my cats on long leashes, but I'm sure that wouldn't stop the hawk...good thing I was outside. That woman shouldn't of let her dog out of her site.

They still haven't caught that bear in Boynton Beach....luckily they have humane traps though..poor animals...they have no place to go anymore.

30 posted on 06/24/2002 3:12:37 PM PDT by Sungirl
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To: mamelukesabre; dennisw; All
Well....cats are usually smarter than dogs:

Poor Kitty

31 posted on 06/24/2002 3:23:16 PM PDT by Sungirl
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To: scholar
I can't stand these people--if they don't want to deal with the realities of nature, they should have stayed in NY, LA, Chicago or wherever.

Well put...my problem, after living in NYC, Boston, Miami...I couldn't deal with "realities of their nature" in those places!...BWAHAHAHA!!!

Thanks for the prayers!

FMCDH

32 posted on 06/24/2002 3:27:15 PM PDT by nothingnew
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To: Sungirl
In some ways, yes. THey are not quite as "domesticated" as dogs are, so they are more self reliant than most dogs are. In general, they are more able to take care of themselves.
33 posted on 06/24/2002 3:49:59 PM PDT by mamelukesabre
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To: scholar
I had a buddy in college who grew up an army brat (we were commissioned from ROTC a year apart) and he told me about growing up in ALASKA where you had to have somebody with a .375 H & H Magnum "cover" you when you took out the trash, 'cause one time this guy took out the garbage to the big green dumpster and a grizzly bear took his face off!

I live in Miami and grew up here...and gators have always been a fact of life along with hurricanes, of which I have endured five...including Andrew. When I was growing up, there were hardier souls in this town who just handled any sh** that came along. These days this town is full of wimps and yankees raised to whine and die. Here's the deal: "Safety is nice...but it's not FIRST! Life is first and LIFE isn't SAFE." Those words were spoken by my hero and idol, COL Jeff Cooper.

If you live in an extreme environment, expect to have to at times perform the functions of a pioneer. The wus who wails about facing his backyard should move back to New York. If I have a gator that is a danger in my backyard, I have a .45 cal solution; ESPECIALLY if he's a threat to my Newfoundland dog!

34 posted on 06/24/2002 5:07:58 PM PDT by ExSoldier
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To: Shermy
Shouldn't we ck to make sure Hillary! wasn't in the area before we blame this gator? ;>)
35 posted on 06/24/2002 6:07:32 PM PDT by Endeavor
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To: Shermy
Here in west central Wisconsin we have seen the return of many species of wildlife which have been absent or few in numbers for many decades or in some cases close to one hundred years. Bald eagles, which were rare when I was young, are now common sights along the Mississippi and further inland. Bears, coyotes, wolves, elk, and the occasional mountain lion are now seen in the area after being almost totally nonexistent around these parts since the early 1900's. And curiously we now have these weird looking little critters called possums or opossums who have migrated up here from the South in the last twenty years. It must be lefse and lutefisk they are attracted to. But they are common road kill.
36 posted on 06/24/2002 6:35:27 PM PDT by driftless
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To: ExSoldier
If you live in an extreme environment, expect to have to at times perform the functions of a pioneer.

If the first settlers in this land had been as wussy as folks today, they wouldn't have gotten farther west than Plymouth Rock!
37 posted on 06/24/2002 7:49:02 PM PDT by scholar
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To: mamelukesabre
THey are not quite as "domesticated" as dogs are, so they are more self reliant than most dogs are. In general, they are more able to take care of themselves

'Domesticated' is the wrong word...more like "Independent"...cats have a mind of their own...they are not like dogs in that they need someone around....they need to be told when to sit and lay down...and when to poop....cats are not stupid.
I think you just pointed out what I always say...Dogs are Democrats and Cats are Republicans. No doubt about it.

38 posted on 06/25/2002 4:46:55 AM PDT by Sungirl
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To: Sungirl; cardinal4
I saw this story on the local Palm Beach News last night at 2300. The first thing I thought when I saw that 'gator was "that dog is no longer missing. He was Brer 'Gator's lunch."
39 posted on 06/25/2002 4:52:47 AM PDT by Ax
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To: Sungirl
Dogs are "team players". Cats are not. THis may be why men like dogs and women like cats.
40 posted on 06/25/2002 1:10:15 PM PDT by mamelukesabre
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