How to keep my family safe from alligator?

Priority #1… Feeding:

Many things can cause alligators to associate people with food… direct feeding (throwing bread, marshmellows, whatever) directly at the gator is, of course, the most troublesome… however, alligators also habituate to fish and turtles being fed, as this also provides an easy meal, as does the "innocent" dumping of fish cleanings or even catch and release fishing.

However the gator is fed, over time it will associate just the mere presence of people with food… 95% of alligator attacks on humans in Florida are linked to feeding.

#2 Children and alligators:

It is a sad sad occasion when a child is killed by an alligator… however, keep in mind how many more children drown in backyard swimming pools… small children and water are a bad thing. If there is the possibility of an alligator in the area discourage your children from playing in or around the water… alligators do not differentiate between a small person crouched over playing in the mud and a small animal getting a drink. DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TO PLAY UNATTENDED BY –ANY– BODY OF WATER NATURAL OR MANMADE.

#3 Pets and alligators:

Dogs are easy. If you have a good dog, it will run up and bark at anything new that shouldn’t be in it’s territory… alligators learn this. If possible, have a good fence installed to keep dogs (or children) away from the water. I know, I know, "But our view!" green or black coated chain-link blend into the background very well and are nearly invisible… the important thing here is that the bottom of the fence is secure and there are no gaps between it and the ground… yes, alligators CAN climb chain-link… but they really want to have a good reason first…
If installing a fence is out of the question, remember, alligators are ambush predators… remove any cover you may have along the water’s edge… bushes, cattails, reeds, whatever an alligator can hide in… TAKE IT OUT! And again, don’t leave your dog unattended in the yard…

Cats… occasionally a cat will be grabbed by a gator… this is rare… usually cats are highly cautious around water and strange creatures. Same precautions as for dogs.

NOW. Before you go on full alert… how big is your gator? There are absolutely NO reports of an alligator under 6 feet attacking a person without provocation… (usually involving being caught and improperly handled) Also, anything under 6 feet would have a heck of a time trying to catch a decent-sized dog… be realistic… a gator under four feet is no harm to anything other than frogs and mice, and usually, attacks on dogs are from alligators seven feet and over. If you’re fishing and an alligator approaches, reel up and find another spot… if you’re feeding the fish and one comes up… stop until it leaves… discourage your children from emulating poor behavior seen on television, and enjoy watching your alligator… they are supercool….

~~Edited to add~~

An alligator is not going to come into your house to attack you… this is NOT Hollywood. If you leave your door open during a storm or hurricane, however, there is a ~small~ chance that it ~might~ come in out of the rain, but I wouldn’t count on it, and not if you’re standing in the doorway either. Alligators judge size the same way we do… vertically. A twelve foot gator is still less than two feet tall, and if you’re standing up, he figures he can’t get his mouth around you.

If you’re seriously concerned about the safety of your family and/or pets, contact your state fish and wildlife commission or whatever state agency handles wildlife problems.

call chuck norris

A strong fence and a sharp eye. Alligators are ambush predators, and can’t chase you if you run, so usually hide close to the edge of the water and grab animals that are drinking from it. If you keep your family away from the water and make sure they know how to get away from the gator if its out of the water (run, quick) then you have no worries. If you like to fish or go boating then you need to be careful not to get in the water or disturb the bottom too much, but the best thing to do is stay away from the water.
A little extra tip, if the worst happens there’s no point trying to stop a gator biting, but you can stop it opening its mouth very easily, just by gripping the sides.

I wouldn’t go swimming in the water. As for other things to do, just be alert to your surroundings. Teach your children what to look for as far as alligators sunning themselves along the beach, ripples in the water and/or eyes when the alligators are in the lake.

Don’t feed them and then they won’t associate humans with food….They are not as aggressive as most think they are. Crocs are the aggressors. Stay away from them and they shouldn’t bother you…

Golden Turtle