# 12 year old killed by gator, humans respond **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 20, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138 "2003-06-20T12:34:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/1 "2003-06-20T12:34:12Z")
[http://www.wftv.com/news/2279895/detail.html](http://www.wftv.com/news/2279895/detail.html) Now, lest anyone think I am a heartless bitch who despises children, let me point out the following: The child kept swimming, even though he knew there were gators in the water. The area is a known habitat for gators. Trappers killed _seven_ gators, in the hopes of figuring out which one killed the boy. I think this was a case of Darwin at work. It’s a tragedy this boy died, but to kill indiscriminately seven animals, who were not doing anything except what gators normally do? Look, Einstein, there are a few absolutes in life. Don’t pee on an electric fence, toast will always land buttered side down when you drop it, and swimming with gators is an incredibly stupid thing to do. Seven gators. Seven. Just damn. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/2 "2003-06-20T12:38:38Z")
As much as I hate the killing of numerous animals, the reasoning given on the news (MSNBC, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, IIRC) last night was not that they were all killed in hopes of finding out which one killed the boy. The report I saw said that several alligators closed in on the boy, so they had considered it to be more than likely that a number of alligators in that area had lost any fear of humans. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/3 "2003-06-20T12:39:53Z")
Yes, the biy was stupid. And yes, sometimes being stupid gets you killed. But that’s where my agreement with the OP ends. Sure, we humans killed seven alligators “just for doign what 'gators do.” But you know what? THAT’S JUST WHAT HUMANS DO, TOO. If you are admiring the gators for being natural, then step up and admire the humans as well. We kill, and we’re better at it than the reptiles. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/4 "2003-06-20T12:41:13Z")
Yes, but we have freedom of will. It would be easier to adjust our behaviour (banning swimming in the area, for instance) than go out and kill several gators on the off chance one of them was the one to kill the boy. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/5 "2003-06-20T12:42:10Z")
I was under the impression that the kids weren’t supposed to be swimming there anyway. It’s not like banning swimming there would actually **stop** kids from doing that, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/6 "2003-06-20T12:42:29Z")
They have to get the one (or ones) that killed the boy. It isn’t safe to have large man eating gators in areas where children might be playing. It is sad, but it is necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/7 "2003-06-20T12:42:55Z")
I’d love to see good hard evidence that there is any purpose to killing an alligator in this circumstance other than “we’re outraged that a person died and we want revenge”. It seems that this is the typical response whenever any kind of wild animal kills a human, and it doesn’t always seem justifiable on the grounds of preventing further attacks from “rogue” animals. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/8 "2003-06-20T12:46:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by In Conceivable \* > \*\*They have to get the one (or ones) that killed the boy. It isn’t safe to have large man eating gators in areas where children might be playing. It is sad, but it is necessary. \*\* But the gator didn’t _eat_ the child. Whether or not that was because the gator was scared off, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Triss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Triss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triss)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/9 "2003-06-20T12:52:46Z")
Surely human beings are still more important than human-attacking animals? Even if they didn’t actually _eat_ anyone. (Don’t kid yourself, they would have if they could. That’s what they’re designed for, killing & eating) No matter how PC and hip it is to use our “free will” to hate ourselves, it’s pure foolishness not to kill animals that attack or are even suspected of attacking humans. If it was one of _our_ children, or ourselves, we’d suddenly have no problem with killing the animal. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Hicks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Ben\_Hicks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Hicks)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/10 "2003-06-20T12:55:28Z")
This is gonna get me flamed to hell but… They’re just alligators. They kill, make baby alligators and maybe sleep if they’ve got some time left over. They’re nasty, vicious animals and if it made the community feel better to kill 7 or 70 or 7000 in retaliation so be it. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/11 "2003-06-20T12:57:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Triss \* > \*\*Surely human beings are still more important than human-attacking animals? Even if they didn’t actually _eat_ anyone. (Don’t kid yourself, they would have if they could. That’s what they’re designed for, killing & eating) > > No matter how PC and hip it is to use our “free will” to hate ourselves, it’s pure foolishness not to kill animals that attack or are even suspected of attacking humans. > > If it was one of _our_ children, or ourselves, we’d suddenly have no problem with killing the animal. \*\* I have no problem with killing a rogue gator that wanders into a backyard and snatches a child from a wading pool. But this boy showed incredible lack of wit, one by swimming in the gator’s habitat, and then refusing to get out when they came closer. In other words, the boy was the trespasser, not the gators. There are consequences to actions, and although I am sorry this boy is dead, if he’d taken a little more care he’d be playing his Nintendo right now. ---
**Author:** ![Triss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Triss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triss)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/12 "2003-06-20T13:00:31Z")
Bullshit. He’s a boy. You don’t seem sorry he’s dead. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/13 "2003-06-20T13:04:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ivylass \* > \*\*In other words, the boy was the trespasser, not the gators. There are consequences to actions, and although I am sorry this boy is dead, if he’d taken a little more care he’d be playing his Nintendo right now. \*\* Come on **ivylass**. You are in Orlando. You know that gators are all over FL and that people swim in lakes in FL all the time. It is true that this boy would be alive if he had stayed out of the lake. However, he didn’t. And now the people in the area know that there is a child killing gator in the area. It is only using good judgement to remove the dangerous animals **before** it wanders into someone’s back yard. Okay, perhaps the gator didn’t eat the child. But, you know that it was going to if it hadn’t been bothered. Gators don’t just kill things because they enjoy it. They kill things because they are hungry. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/14 "2003-06-20T13:09:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Triss \* > **Surely human beings are still more important than human-attacking animals? Even if they didn’t actually _eat_ anyone. (Don’t kid yourself, they would have if they could. That’s what they’re designed for, killing & eating)** I don’t see why human beings in general are more important. Not in my book they aren’t. But anyway why are they being killed then? For revenge? Ben Hicks I won’t flame you but I don’t mind paying for the propane gas. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/15 "2003-06-20T13:11:25Z")
Yes, I live in Florida. And I have enough sense not to swim with gators. And my children know the same. It’s not as if Bryan did not know there were gators in the area. He did, and chose to go back in the water. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/16 "2003-06-20T13:12:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pedro \* > \*\*I don’t see why human beings in general are more important. Not in my book they aren’t. But anyway why are they being killed then? For revenge? \*\* They aren’t being killed for revenge. They are being killed to protected other children. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/17 "2003-06-20T13:14:28Z")
Let me just get something out of the way: I am truly sorry for the boy, for his family and for his friends. And Ben I didn’t mean that literaly of course, just that it was a flame worthy comment. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Hicks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Ben\_Hicks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben_Hicks)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/18 "2003-06-20T13:14:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Ben Hicks I won’t flame you but I don’t mind paying for the propane gas. _Propane???_ Hell, if you’re paying I want Premium unleaded Rocket fuel 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ratty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ratty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratty)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/19 "2003-06-20T13:15:23Z")
You know what? I’m not sorry this kid’s dead. This kid was stupid. And sometimes being stupid gets you killed. Sad, but necessary. I’m tired of this sanctity of life bullshit that always gets trotted out when things like this happen. Sanctity applies to human life only, right? Well I disagree. There are plenty more humans than alligators, and judging from what I know of human behavior, I’d rather take my chances with the gators. Yes, alligators will certainly eat anything that wanders into their territory when they happen to be hungry. You know what this means, kids? Stay the hell away from places where you KNOW there are alligators. 12 is plenty old enough to learn this lesson. This kid knew there were gators in the area, he saw them several times that day, his friends warned him several times to get out of the water. So his death is whose fault, now? This is not like some alligator crept up behind him while he was sitting in his backyard. Please. Now many alligators must die because of some dumbass kid who wouldn’t be told. Cry me a fucking river. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138/20 "2003-06-20T13:16:28Z")
I hate to ask for a cite in the Pit, but is there any authority establishing that an alligator is more dangerous to humans once it has killed one. Do individual alligators become maneaters/childkillers? In my midwestern ignorance I kinda assumed any alligator would kill and eat a human if it was sufficiently hungry and the opportunity presented itself. From what I read, it sounds as tho a gator can turn up in just about any damp spot in Fla. But it seems to me that swimming in a body of whater where you KNOW they are present is pretty darned reckless. Culling the herd indeed. I can imagine relocation being effective, tho more expensive than a bullet. OTOH, alligators aren’t exactly endangered, so I’m not going to get overly worked up about seven less. Heck, might go boot shopping over lunch… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-year-old-killed-by-gator-humans-respond/183138.md?page=2)