Doc left me again. She traveled down to the southern most tip of Florida in search of the sun, rest and revitalization. While visiting, she found out that alligators are everywhere and sometimes in the places you least expect.
After spending a morning riding on an air boat through the swamps, she was thrilled to find gators basking in the sun, keeping their beady eyes alert to a possible meal. Doc told me for as big as they are, they can move fast and strike prey quickly. She developed a healthy respect for the beasts, so she was surprised by two incidents that occurred while she was visiting that left her wondering if people think before they make a decision.
The first incident happened as a man and his accomplice were seen breaking into cars. They tried to escape justice. But with the law closing in, one of the men ran into a lake that had a large sign stating “Warning! Living Gators”. Eyewitnesses tried to warn him as they saw a gator approaching, but too late. The gator got to him before the police.
The second incident happened at a Wendy’s drive through in Jupiter, Florida. A 24-year-old man came up with the bright and well thought out plan to toss a 3 1/2 foot alligator through the drive through window as an employee handed him his drink. No one was hurt, but the gator tosser was charged with aggravated assault, taking an alligator and theft. I hope the gator at least got a Frosty and some fries for all his trouble. He certainly had a good story to tell his friends when he was returned to the swamp.
After Doc told me those two stories, I was glad she left me in the mid-west. The only wildlife I had to deal with while she was gone were some bunnies, the loud clucking of the chicken’s next door and a Beagle that wouldn’t stop barking and interrupting my afternoon naps.