As summer is almost here, millions of Americans look for a magical vacation at Walt Disney World, as officials step up safety, continuing to remove hundreds of alligators from the area.
After a child was killed by an alligator at the Disney Resort and Spa in Orlando, Florida 10 years ago, officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have removed over 400 gators from the property.
According to WDW News Today, the worldwide leader in Disney Park news, 414 alligators have been removed in the 10 years since the attack.
Alligators longer than 4 feet and believed to pose a threat to people, pet or property qualify for removal by FWC trappers to resolve the situation.
Typically, smaller alligators are not large enough to be dangerous to people or pets, unless handled, which is never advised, as bites can result in serious injury or infection, on top of being illegal, according to the FWC.
Trappers do not relocate alligators because they often try to return to the location where they were captured.
In addition to removing a plethora of gators, officials at Disney have also constructed barriers and other precautions to keep alligators from getting too close to guests.
Some safety features include fencing, boulder walls and warning signs on the property near the water.
The remote areas to which they would be relocated already host healthy alligator populations and established social structures.
Introducing new alligators would disrupt the order and lead to fighting between the resident gators and the newcomers.
Thankfully, Florida has a healthy, stable population of these creatures, totaling about 1.3 million across all 67 counties.
The removal of these nuisance alligators does not have a significant impact on the species whatsoever.
Thankfully, officials with the FWC continue to work closely with Disney to ensure the safest conditions and prevent an avoidable tragedy.
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