Alligators

 Too often, northerners move to Florida, discover that alligators live in the nearby lakes and streams, and freak out.  "They're going to eat my dog!"  "They will kill my kids!"  "They have to go!"

No, they won't, and no, they don't.  Alligators generally want nothing to do with humans, unless a human carelessly comes upon an alligator and surprises it.  If you are alert to your surroundings and keep a respectful distance away, gators will ignore you or will slide into the water.

I see and photograph alligators all the time, but I do it from my golf cart, ready to leave if necessary, and I photograph them with a long lens that makes them look closer than they really are.  I am in the camp that says, "Alligators were here first, long before we got here.  They deserve to live their lives free from interference from uninformed humans."