Searches for the alligator responsible for the deadly attack at Disney have been suspended. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have taken six alligators out of the Seven Seas Lagoon and released a statement saying “The FWC is confident that the alligator responsible for the attack has been removed.”
The attack happened on June 14 around 9:15pm on the beach of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Lane Graves, 2, was playing at the edge of the water with his family when an alligator grabbed him and dragged him underwater. Lane’s body was found intact the next day.
The FWC found two alligators that fit the description of the one involved in the attack – they were in the vicinity of the Grand Floridian’s beach and were the correct size. No animal DNA was found in the bite wounds, so a DNA test was not possible.
There have been 250 “problematic alligators” taken out of waters on Disney property in the past decade; 16 have been taken out this year.
Disney has a permit with the FWC to police its own alligators and they can be removed once they are more than 4 feet long. Disney noted on the permit that these alligators are “a threat to people, pets, and livestock.”
Since the incident, Disney has added alligator warning signs on all of their beaches. There were previously signs just stating “no swimming.”
Fences have also been erected on resort beaches to keep guests from entering the water.
News source: WFTV
Photo credit: Cox Media Group via WFTV
