Fair Warning

The Florida Fish and Wildlife folks have issued a warning for motorcycle enthusiasts attending the big bike rally in October. It seems alligators are feeding heavily to prepare for the cooler weather ahead, when the cold-blooded beasts will be sluggish and slow in hunting.


Steve, who was going to Daytona, phoned the Florida Fish and Wildlife office to ask about the danger.


Angie the ranger told him, “If you stray off the beaten path, wear some kind of noisemaker, like little bells. Smaller alligators don’t want to attack humans and the bells will warn them to keep away. For the larger, more aggressive gators, carry pepper spray.”


Steve was shaken and asked, “How will I know if there are alligators around?”


Angie replied, “The best way is to look for alligator scat. If they aren’t pooping, they aren’t around. You should also check the scat to see if the alligator is young and small or old and large, so you can assess the threat level.”


“How do I do that?”


“Young alligators leave scat that contains fish bones and bird feathers. Bit alligators leave scat that contains little bells and pepper spray cans.”

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