More than 200 alligators have been removed from Disney World after the tragic death of a toddler, US state records show.
A trip to the resort should be a holiday to remember for young children but ended in tragedy for two-year-old Lane Thomas Graves on June 14, 2016.
The tot was building sandcastles on a beach outside the resort in Florida when an alligator lunged out of the Seven Seas Lagoon as the toddler bent over to scoop up water with a bucket.
Prior to the attack, the resort had legally been removing an average of 23 alligators from the property per year, according to records from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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But this figure skyrocketed following Lane's death and 83 were removed from the resort in 2016. Then, a further 57 were captured.
State-contracted wildlife trappers harvested an average 33 alligators per year in 2018 and 2019, often euthanising the animal and taking their hide and meat as payment.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, the number of alligators removed from Disney World shot up again in 2020.
The height of the Covid pandemic meant that Disney World had been forced to shut down its family-friendly operation, meaning wildlife trappers had the opportunity to crack down on their nuisance alligator problem.
As a result, another 46 alligators were killed; nearly half of which took place between late March and early July, meaning at least 226 have been removed between 2016 and 2021.
Disney World has since installed fences and large barriers of rocks along lakes in the resort to prevent unknowing visitors from getting too close to the water.
There are also a number of signs intermittently erected around the resort to warn guests about the presence of alligators and snakes.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has a ruling whereby alligators that are at least 4 feet in length and are believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property, then a contracted trapper is permitted to make the removal.
Alligators are not relocated to an alternative site as they could cause conflict in their new group, and often try to return to where they were captured.
Instead, most alligators are euthanised and trappers receive a stipend $30 (£25) for every one they capture.
A Walt Disney World spokesperson said: "In keeping with our strong commitment to safety, we continue to reinforce procedures related to reporting sightings and interactions with wildlife, and work closely with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to remove or relocate certain wildlife from our property in accordance with state regulations."
FWC spokesperson Tammy Sapp said: “The FWC takes public safety seriously and uses Targeted Harvest Area (THA) permits as part of a comprehensive effort to achieve alligator management goals.
“THA permits allow a managing authority to work directly with a designated FWC-contracted nuisance alligator trapper, making the process for removing nuisance alligators more proactive and streamlined.
"THA permits, which have been in use for two decades, define the area’s boundaries, effective dates and how many alligators can be removed.”
According to FWC, the removal of nuisance alligators does not have a significant impact on Florida’s population of about 1.3million alligators.
