Onlookers were stunned when adults had small children pose next to an Everglades alligator as if it were some sort of Disney character.<\/p>\n
The Instagram account Tourons of National Parks<\/a> (@touronsofnationalparks) reposted a video<\/a> showing the presumed parents urging their kids closer and closer to the gigantic, sharp-toothed reptile.<\/p>\n The youngsters, wearing bicycle helmets that offered zero protection from such an animal, seemed appropriately hesitant and jumpy.<\/p>\n “More Everglade Tourons!” the caption read, with hashtags like #GatorSelfie, #AFamilyThatTakesPicsWithGatorsTogetherDiesTogether, and #DoNotTurnYourBackOnAGator.<\/p>\n One of the kids can be heard saying, “Oh, he really hates us now.”<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the people recording the incident observed that they were “way too close.”<\/p>\n One person even yells, “Get away.”<\/p>\n While incidents of alligators killing human beings are rare, they do happen. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data, shared by Naples Daily News<\/a>, 31 people have died following alligator attacks since 1948 \u2014 489 non-fatal attacks were also recorded.<\/p>\n Watching this Instagram video, it’s perhaps not surprising to learn that, as a University of Florida study<\/a> found, “Risky human behavior, not aggression by alligators, is the leading cause of alligator bites.”<\/p>\n When human beings make dangerous choices and get too close for comfort with such creatures, they risk not only their own lives, but the lives of the animals, too.<\/p>\n The author of the University of Florida’s study, Frank Mazzotti<\/a>, a professor of wildlife ecology, said<\/a>: “Frequently, when the alligator responsible for the bite is identified, it is removed by authorities and euthanized, losing its life because of risky human behavior.”<\/p>\n Alligators are crucial for healthy biodiversity. According to the U.S. Geological Survey<\/a>, they are “ecosystem engineers,” controlling prey species and providing refuge for birds and fish by leaving behind trails and holes.<\/p>\n The removal of even one alligator from the environment could negatively impact the ecosystem, which could have knock-on effects throughout the food chain \u2014 even reaching the human food supply.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, disrespectful individuals have been recorded bothering other animals, too.<\/p>\n In Yellowstone National Park, for example, tourists were filmed getting far too close to an elk, putting themselves at risk of being harmed if the animal charged. Of course, it also put the animal in danger.<\/p>\n Commenters on the video seemed to understand how problematic the scene in the Everglades was.<\/p>\n One wrote, “These people have no idea how fast he can move! They were in serious danger.”<\/p>\n “Incredible lack of survival instincts,” added another.<\/p>\n And another person joked about how dumbfounding the interaction was, writing, “Even the gator is stunned.”<\/p>\n Get TCD’s free newsletters<\/a> for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices \u2014 and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD’s exclusive Rewards Club<\/a>.<\/p>\n