New Orleans Alligator

Here's another New Orleans image that's begun to circulate. (Travis of Ohio State sent this one in.) Evidently this alligator has just enjoyed a good meal. However, this photo isn't a fake. It appeared in Der Stern accompanying an article about the many dangers that now exist in New Orleans, and is credited to photographer Marvi Lacar. The photo's caption reads (in English): "An alligator in the church: the 'swamp critters' are an additional danger."
image

Animals Photos

Posted on Mon Sep 12, 2005



Comments

It doesn't look like it just finished eating. It looks like it's been injured and is bleeding.
Posted by Maegan  on  Mon Sep 12, 2005  at  11:13 AM
Alex-
I did a Google translation of the site with the photo, and it reads (badly):

"A dead alligator was because of the entrance the "roofridge Presbyterian Church". The national guard had shot the animal."
Posted by eric schucard  on  Mon Sep 12, 2005  at  12:05 PM
Are you sure it's not fake? The alligator looks as if it was resized, and the lighting seems discontinuous, also.
Posted by PlantPerson  on  Mon Sep 12, 2005  at  12:48 PM
I like the title of the article: 'Get the fuck out of here'

('scuse the language, but that's what it says!)
Posted by Snowy  on  Mon Sep 12, 2005  at  03:54 PM
The title is apparently a direct quote from a local policeman (responding to the reporter's interview request).

I was going to say the photo doesn't look fake, but the gator does look dead.
Then I looked at the accompanying article and saw that that's exactly what it says. The National Guard apparently shot the animal and then, for some incomprehensible reason, left it in the entrance area of the First Prebyterian Church.

But, Alex, the article says this happened in Gulfport, Mississippi, not New Orleans.

(P.S. An onscreen ad for "alligator sausage and meat" shows up when I look at this post.)
Posted by Big Gary in Dallas  on  Mon Sep 12, 2005  at  04:48 PM
I've only heard news reports of two people being bitten by alligators in N.O. recently, but both survived.
Posted by eriC draveS  on  Mon Sep 12, 2005  at  08:40 PM
The Nat'l Gd probably doesn't have the man power to start moving alligator bodies. They're probably more worried about the human bodies.
Posted by Maegan  on  Tue Sep 13, 2005  at  05:06 AM
The alligator problem is a lot more prevalent than what is being reported. Government officials and the press don't feel that it would be appropriate to further antagonize victim's families with the news that some of their dead relatives are being eaten by alligators before their bodies can be recovered.
Posted by Jorge  on  Tue Sep 13, 2005  at  05:45 AM
The only thing gators are good for are belts and boots.
Posted by Hunter  on  Tue Sep 13, 2005  at  08:12 AM
hunter said: "The only thing gators are good for are belts and boots."

don't forget handbags! 😛
Posted by jesykah mahree  on  Tue Sep 13, 2005  at  08:42 AM
Maegan, if the NG has enough manpower (or womanpower, whichever it was) to drag the gator into the church, it should have enough to drag it back out again.

Hunter: Not true. I had some delicious gator gumbo not long ago.

Jorge: Since disposal of cadavers has been reported as a serious problem in the storm-hit areas, alligators consuming them may be a solution, not another problem.
Posted by Big Gary in Dallas  on  Tue Sep 13, 2005  at  04:58 PM
Hunter: It's pretty darn good battered and fried too...
Posted by Swamp Thing  on  Mon Sep 19, 2005  at  03:37 PM
uhm Garry..these are folks' family members...not Cadvers...dang. A decent burial is a solution..not an aligator feed fest!
Posted by Piph  on  Thu Sep 22, 2005  at  10:51 AM
Big Gary, to clarify: this church in Gulfport is in my denomination so I get the news bulletins. No one dragged the alligator anywhere: the NG shot the alligator inside the church! The damage to the church's exterior walls made it no problem for the alligator to get in.
Posted by ACStLouis  on  Fri Sep 23, 2005  at  09:17 AM
The Gators eating the bodies is really a good thing.I know that sounds harsh,but think about it for a moment..................................how long is it going to take to search through all that trash just to find dead people.shouldn't they be more worried about the people still alive.It really is a tough decicion, but you have to help the ones you can before anything else. 😕
Posted by redslayer  on  Tue Sep 27, 2005  at  11:34 AM
p.s. don't think of me as a bad person' but you have to look at this situation logically. People are dieing everday.Once your dead it really doesn't matter wear your body is.All you can do is hope you will make it to heaven.there are people right now without a place to live and we are worried about alligators eating dead bodies.COME ON PEOPLEget a grip and worry about important stuff.
Posted by redslayer  on  Tue Sep 27, 2005  at  11:38 AM
If anyone can send me pictures from new orleans, I would appreciate it. I'm doing a report on alligators and how they were affected by Katrina.
Posted by Brendan  on  Wed Sep 28, 2005  at  07:26 AM
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Posted by Brendan  on  Wed Sep 28, 2005  at  07:27 AM
Ya'll are crazy! I'm so glad I don't live there cause that was just wrong to harm a animal like that when there was no one around in the first place. Thoes animals have no recall on what we are and all they try and do is eat and live on our earth and just cause we are scared of it we kill it. How about leave it alone or move it back to its natural place of living. In this casue of the storm hitting there he probably had no clue were he was at. Just a shame on how people kill cause they are scared don't go near it and nothing will happen.
Posted by Nani  on  Wed Sep 28, 2005  at  06:35 PM
Too NANI, you're a moron. Gators are eating machines. Yes let's leave it alone and let it eat a kid or two before we kill it. Wake up. Take your peta aspirations and stuff them.
Posted by Gary  on  Fri Sep 30, 2005  at  04:36 PM
enlarge the photo and look to the upper left. It looks like a hand under the debris!!!
Posted by elizabeth  on  Tue Oct 04, 2005  at  08:17 PM
I think it is all discusting,, i am scared of them, but i wouldn't kill them, and i don't think i would like it much if one of my family members were out there somewhere and we never found a body,,, just the thought of a gator eating one of my family is unthinkable.
Posted by Nat  on  Fri Oct 07, 2005  at  06:25 PM
the picture is a fake, it was taken almost 2 years ago, if you notice, those are not african americans standing next to it, those are africans, it was taken in an african country and it was around 18 feet long, same picture was in the paper 2 years ago
Posted by nate  on  Tue Oct 11, 2005  at  09:27 AM
I believe this probably did come out of Gulfport, as I recall having heard about this on a few occasions.

To clarify, I think that this photograph is real. I think the alligator was shot dead. And I think that shooting it was the RIGHT choice, because it was an extreme danger to the public, and no one was around who could safely transport the creature to a better location. Had the gator been allowed to roam the area, it could well have injured or killed anyone, including a child.

Sadly, many loose wild animals (and domestic animals) had to be destroyed because of the danger they posed to the public at that time.
Posted by Rachel  on  Tue Jan 10, 2006  at  11:04 AM
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