: : byes
: : Aislinn

: Here in Florida, we have our own battles with dinosaurs. The alligators are starting to enter their mating season, which means the usually slow-moving gators start to wander around a bit. We're also having a dry spell, and open bodies of water are becoming hard to find so the gators have started getting creative, such as building a wallows in storm sewer drains and living in water retention ponds near homes and offices. Its also the start of their feeding time, which means any day now there should be stories of small dogs and cats missing from homes that have waterfront property (there's always a few each year).

: The most recent incident involved a Palestinian man who had never seen a gator and freaked out when he saw one cruising the pond behind his apartment. He ran back inside his apartment and grabbed his AR-15 rifle, which is the semi-automatic civilian version of the M-16 military assault rifle, and killed the alligator with repeated shots to the head. He was, of course, arrested for a) discharging a firearm within city limits and b) killing an animal without a permit. He was also thrown out of the apartment complex because he scared the wits out of his neighbors. His excuse? He was a fan of the documentary/adventure tv show "Crocodile Hunter" starring Steve Irwin and had always seen the pictures of the crocs cruising the rivers just before they snatch their prey off the shore. Since he had never seen an alligator before, he assumed that the gator was hunting him!

: Enjoy!

Hi, Troy!

What a story! I thought Steve Irwin's message is to appreciate reptilian life, crocodiles and snakes, etc., not to blow them out of the water, so to speak. I think the guy is missing the point of his favorite show! My best, Molly