For the next month, two of my close friends who chose to escape the harsh Maine winter will be vacationing in Florida. With playing golf and total relaxation a high priority for the couple, they opted for a master-planned, age-restricted community called The Villages. How nice for them, I think, as I dig out from our most recent snowfall and spread rock salt on the driveway to melt the treacherous black ice.
Then this morning my husband showed me an article online about a mammoth alligator that lives in The Villages and strolls around like he owns the place. Larry the Alligator has his own Facebook page that identifies him as a Public Figure. Started no doubt not by him personally but by a human who thought it would be funny, it's not funny. Alligators kill people, and that's a fact.
But never mind that detail. The residents of The Villages love Larry and consider him a local celebrity. They
snap his photo when they see him and post it on his page, writing things
like, "We saw him yesterday!" and "Is he hanging out with the Loch Ness monster? This is dumb. Just ask the parents of the two-year-old boy who was grabbed in 2016, while playing on the beach at a Disney World resort in the Magic Kingdom. Despite the frantic rescue attempts made by the boy's father, the child was killed by the gator.
Yes, killed. Although rare, statistically alligator attacks are on the rise in Florida. This from Wikipedia: "Although the alligator has a heavy body and a slow metabolism, it is capable of short bursts of speed, especially in very short lunges. Alligators' main prey are smaller animals they can kill and eat with a single bite. They may kill larger prey by grabbing it and dragging it into the water to drown." Several adults out walking their dogs have been dragged to their death after an alligator attacked their pet. Others who were swimming in their neighborhood ponds have been mauled to death.
Still, the residents of The Villages are sticking with Larry, no matter his potential for disaster. Sound familiar? Next thing you know, Larry will get himself a Twitter account and announce his candidacy for president in 2020. Considering the mentality of some of the folks who have already declared, I wouldn't be a bit surprised.
Then this morning my husband showed me an article online about a mammoth alligator that lives in The Villages and strolls around like he owns the place. Larry the Alligator has his own Facebook page that identifies him as a Public Figure. Started no doubt not by him personally but by a human who thought it would be funny, it's not funny. Alligators kill people, and that's a fact.
But never mind that detail. The residents of The Villages love Larry and consider him a local celebrity. They
snap his photo when they see him and post it on his page, writing things
like, "We saw him yesterday!" and "Is he hanging out with the Loch Ness monster? This is dumb. Just ask the parents of the two-year-old boy who was grabbed in 2016, while playing on the beach at a Disney World resort in the Magic Kingdom. Despite the frantic rescue attempts made by the boy's father, the child was killed by the gator.Yes, killed. Although rare, statistically alligator attacks are on the rise in Florida. This from Wikipedia: "Although the alligator has a heavy body and a slow metabolism, it is capable of short bursts of speed, especially in very short lunges. Alligators' main prey are smaller animals they can kill and eat with a single bite. They may kill larger prey by grabbing it and dragging it into the water to drown." Several adults out walking their dogs have been dragged to their death after an alligator attacked their pet. Others who were swimming in their neighborhood ponds have been mauled to death.
Still, the residents of The Villages are sticking with Larry, no matter his potential for disaster. Sound familiar? Next thing you know, Larry will get himself a Twitter account and announce his candidacy for president in 2020. Considering the mentality of some of the folks who have already declared, I wouldn't be a bit surprised.
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