Planning a surf safari this weekend?

[gofaster]

... then you better watch for floating logs!

Alligator at Panhandle beach eludes capture


Associated Press, May 22, 2003 - 12:45 PM

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PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.
An alligator eluded capture and disappeared into the Gulf of Mexico after being spotted on a Florida Panhandle beach where thousands of visitors are expected during the Memorial Day weekend.

Three Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers tried to trap the alligator, estimated to be 8 to 10 feet long, but failed when a line used to snare the reptile broke Tuesday, commission Lt. Stan Kirkland said.

The gator probably returned to a nearby pond, Kirkland said. The animals normally stick to freshwater, but it is not uncommon to find them in the surf.

"I think he saw the writing on the wall and took off," Kirkland said. "They spotted him once more, out in deeper water, but he just disappeared after that."

Kirkland said officers took the alligator seriously because of the holiday weekend and the popularity of Panama City Beach.

"If it was at a remote beach, we probably wouldn't do anything," Kirkland said. "If it's not a threat to anyone, we wouldn't disturb it, but in this case, we can't take that chance. You never know if somebody's going to accidentally step on it or doing something crazy and wind up getting bit."

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[Gunthr]

I didn't know they would go in salt.

Here's an anectdote for ya. My brother lives on Eagle Lake near Winterhaven. Last year, his 4 kids aged 4 to 9 were in the swimming pool which is about 20 yards from the lake. Their Dalamation dog was running back and forth between the pool and the lake repeatedly, splashing along the shore then running back to the kids in the pool. One of those times, a 13 foot gator that was laying in the reeds grabbed the full growm Dalmation by a leg and just backed into the water with him and took him down. The dog was yelping the whole time. The gator let go of the dog at some point, but he was already dismembered. The kids saw the whole thing, and they were pretty traumatized.

Fish and Game came out and stuck a rotten chicken with a hook onto a branch dangling in the water and caught it the next day.

[gofaster]

Last year or year before they closed down the Ben T. Davis Beach just off Tampa International Airport because an alligator was spotted in the water.  That was the first time I'd heard of a gator going in salt water.

[Airhead]

Dalmatians are stupid.

[Wlfgng]

actually they are smart.. but too frikin stubborn


and surfing this weekend is out.. skiiing the pass instead

[Airhead]

I'm skiing the lake.