despise? So in life? Florida‘s fourth estate with
host Ginger Gadsden and Matt
Austin the show where we bring,
Florida into Focus.
well Everyone and welcome to
another fantastic edition of
Florida‘s fourth estate.
We have a really great show for
you tonight.
It‘s got some teeth to it.
Honestly a lot of bite.
I‘m Ginger Gadsden glad to have
you with us.
I am Matt Austin good sales
pitch.
We‘re actually in the same room
together for a podcast.
It‘s not working.
Yeah, well bad news also in the
room.
Normally.
room. Normally. I like to be the burliest guy on
the newscast.
I don‘t know if I‘m I don‘t know
if I‘m doing it today.
You are definitely not.
Okay take three shot because we
have a Burly.
Yes here wrestling Mountain Man
in the studio with us right now
for the Podcast is Brandon
Fisher from Gatorland joining us
always good to have you my
friend.
Great to see you guys.
glad to be back Glad to see you
in person.
Exactly.
Yeah, it‘s cool.
It‘s good stuff.
I‘m sorry taking the burliness
from You I apologize.
I know you could have took it a
long time ago.
Just a standard look for me.
All right, whatever you got the
guns out and everything.
That‘s all right.
I‘m not I‘m not intimidated at
all this time to a different
kind of show.
This has I know yeah all about
me.
No, I want to my first Question
I wanted to ask you was have you
ever mistaken a gator for a dog
and her mistaken a gator for a
dollar never thought a gator?
was a dog because that actually
happened recently in the news
where a guy thought it was.
He said it was a dog with a
leash trailing behind.
Okay.
Apparently he got close enough
for that Gator to bite him.
probably ended never done that
but not personally never done
that I‘ll make you terrible at
your job.
It would definitely all my years
experience not knowing what a
gator is.
Yeah, but you know, it‘s funny
about that.
Is that some people and in the
way that Is behave and act some
people think they‘re a lot like
cat.
S which I know it‘s totally
opposite that dog, but you know,
some people nicknamed swamp
kittens, you know alligators.
Yeah, what because like there,
you know, like have cats like,
you know, they‘ll do stuff to,
you know, think they‘re all cute
and cuddly and then all of a
sudden like Turn on yeah.
Yeah, there‘s the same way.
Oh mentality.
Okay.
Now that makes sense.
Yeah that‘s comforting.
But you did have a psychotic cat
who would be he would do the
little Be massage the next thing
you know his teeth.
Come on inside your jug.
It was tenderizing here.
Yeah, he‘s like, oh this is
really good.
Later.
Yeah, so but no adult.
I don‘t know how you could get
that confused.
But yeah didn‘t really have
personalities though.
like because I think of a
reptile not really having any
sort, of course, so they they
like the part of the brain for
feelings and emotions.
You know, they don‘t really feel
that you know, people like
exactly yeah, and they‘re not
necessarily Really liked furry
animals, but they do have their
own personalities, you know some
more calm than others some you
can really tell that they want
to be around you at least for us
at Gatorland our gators at
Gatorland, you know, a wild
Gators not gonna be Like of
course, but our gators a
Gatorland, you know, they they
do it some of them like their --
scratch, you know, right on the
back of the tail and they kind
of wiggle and move with it.
And so you telling me late at
night it I can find you
scratching the Gators now not
late at night.
know what the Romantic not set
the mood nothing like that.
We seen you, you know feed them
and interact with them do they
recognize their names because
they have names when you call
them do they come?
Yeah, definitely.
Yeah, they‘ll understand their
name call called the least ones
that we work with every single
day.
You know, they know their name
they come to us.
I want to know the capabilities
of a gator because there once
was a I don‘t know if it was a
picture or a video online that
showed a gator climbing at chain
link.
Yes.
link. Yes. All right.
Say yep, as if that‘s really it
is real that‘s a game change
some of them do it they do and
they‘ll find they‘ll climb up on
low hanging branches, you know
in the water sit on them.
They can jump up and grab birds
and things like that weirdest
place you‘ve encountered or
you‘ve heard someone
encountering a gator.
Um, Probably the weirdest place
I‘ve ever heard of an alligator.
Which is pretty wild to me, I
mean they were building a house
in the gator was inside the
house.
I mean that happened just
recently.
I mean, I would say that‘s
probably the weirdest.
I mean they end up in people‘s
All right, but a brand new house
it was big too.
It‘s the walking.
It was big alligator.
Yeah, but I mean, you know, they
end up in under people‘s cars
they end up, you know on the
front porch ringing the doorbell
at schools.
It‘s cool.
Yeah, it does happen, you know,
and they‘re getting to moving.
I mean it all happens when we
hear these stories of alligators
everywhere, especially down here
in Florida.
It‘s all during breeding season.
Yeah Gators are on the Move.
They‘re moving around or when
we‘ve had a drought season and
things Grind up in the Gators
get moving then too.
Yeah, and thanks to things like
doorbell cams.
Yeah, we see so much and what‘s
that original a lot more?
It‘s been a boon for the news
exactly.
It‘s been really good job
security.
Yeah.
security. Yeah. So yeah, we‘ve got plenty of
Gator videos now, and I
understand the Gators coming to
the people because it doesn‘t
seem like they know better.
They‘re just out looking for
love, right?
I don‘t understand as much the
Gators who get the people end up
going to the Gators that doesn‘t
make as much sense to me.
We had a story just last week
the guy here Saint Petersburg
who went looking for discs.
yeah, the disc golfer and he he
was like, you know how people
will go find golf balls in the
water and they‘ll sell them.
Well, I think he was going yeah,
he went at dusk.
Yeah, which I don‘t know you can
tell us what the wrong time ago
is this is a place known forget.
I think some people just think
like, you know their parents
told him Gators don‘t really
want to eat you.
So if you‘re in there you‘re
fine, and I think they get a
little too comfortable probably
right more like I mean most of
the things that we hear,
especially in those instances
and you know a lot of times they
end up in tragedy and we don‘t
like yes, right.
Yeah.
It really stinks to see that but
you get that false sense of
security.
I mean you think you know you
can do I mean, you know, he‘s
probably out there swimming all
the time catching these frisbees
never had a problem.
But all it takes is one time one
time alligators are definitely
more active especially this time
of year.
Brain season nesting from Dust
Till Dawn.
That‘s actually do their
hunting.
They‘re feeding the breeding
most the time so they‘re very
active and You know to be in
shallow water murky water.
The gator doesn‘t know the
difference between a turtle and
a fish and somebody‘s hand or
foot that‘s traipsing around,
you know, they feel any kind of
vibration anything brush up
against their face.
They‘re gonna bite for it.
They‘re gonna go towards it.
They‘re very curious.
So any splashing in the water
things like that?
They‘re gonna some of them are
very curious about it.
Yeah, and you know, the thing is
during the pandemic and since
the pandemic we had so many
people who have moved to
Florida.
Yes, you know and So they are
just being introduced to the
gator for the first time and
when I tell people it‘s like if
it is a body of water here in
Florida, you can assume I mean I
check my bathtub before you
always look in the toilet just
do it because it‘s just and in
the swimming pool, too.
That‘s the other thing.
Yeah, so you have to I mean they
get up and move and you know,
they‘ve tracked, you know,
scientists and Fish and Wildlife
attract Gators walking nine
miles, you know GPS from a body
Water Gator exactly.
you know, I just they get up and
move they really really do and
and a lot of people are
surprising definitely, you know,
since the pandemic with
everybody moving in and influx
of people, you know, we‘re gonna
start seeing more of these
alligators pop up in places that
they‘re not supposed to be but
it just happens to be that way
and speaking of alligators
popping up in places.
They shouldn‘t you have a
special guest for us and we‘re
gonna meet this special special
visit or shop now at Greenway dots.com and Greenway ford.com Greenway the only way Florida‘s
fourth estate with host Ginger
Gadsden and Matt Austin the show
where we bring, Florida into
Focus.
Alright, welcome back to
Florida‘s fourth estate in an
attempt to keep my fingers.
My hands are officially in my
pocket.
We‘ve got a little friend in the
studio.
We do your hands are in your
pocket because he actually asked
Brandon and you are my witness.
Hey, can I put my finger in that
Gator‘s mouth?
How hard would it bite?
How hard could you know?
things that are set off camera.
well our set off camera for a
reason.
Yeah.
reason. Yeah. I want people to know what we‘re
dealing Brandon‘s like there
would be blood everywhere.
Not a good idea.
Some of us are trying to be
internet famous.
Okay, guys, you know, it takes
sacrifice Sawyer.
This is Sawyer.
So one of our albino alligators
we have there Gatorland.
She‘s actually got two brothers
hook and Finn, you know, yeah,
we went we‘re real good Southern
names for them when we got it.
But so we‘re here is just about
to turn.
three years old Here in the next
couple months there, but albino,
so it‘s an American alligator,
but this is just a genetic
defect that causes the skin to
be this color.
So I would have thought that at
three years old.
I don‘t know about you.
I thought a gator would be way
bigger.
This feels like it could still
be eaten by something else
fairly easily.
It could out in the wild and
typically, you know, and this
color of an alligator but not
survived.
They can‘t right they like
vitamin D So they get sunburn
real easy and can die from
sunburn poisoning out there.
So You know and human care they
last of course a lot longer, you
know, get well taken care of,
but they grow typically about a
foot a year for the first six
years after that first year.
I know it‘s kind of oh, you‘re
really making me put together an
algorithm here because we don‘t
do math the board born at six
inches long out of the egg.
Oh and the first year of the
grow up to an additional six to
12 inches, and then it‘s that
foot a year after that.
Okay, so she‘s gonna get pretty
long.
Yeah.
long. Yeah. Hopefully sometime when she‘s
full grown which will be you
know, a handful of years down
the road.
She‘s gonna be about seven to
nine feet long.
But what‘s amazing right now is
that I can see that you are
holding her in a snug way when
she‘s wiggling like that.
She‘s pretty strong.
Yeah, and so when people
approach Gators in the wild who
are much bigger than Sawyer,
that‘s what I don‘t understand a
lot stronger.
Yeah a lot stronger, you know,
they‘re 90% muscle course the
mouth up here most dangerous and
got all the That‘s what they‘re
going to bite with but this tail
can be just a business end right
there feel that things.
Meaty.
These are called scutes.
All right, and these sharpen and
dull on their own special for
ones out in the wild exactly
they swing their tail around and
that just crazies you that can
cut you wide open and not to
mention, you know, they‘re 90%
muscle on that tail, very strong
and just whipping they‘ll knock
you down trivia, whatever but
and that‘s one of the myths, you
know, everybody thinks most
dangerous part is a tale.
It‘s not it‘s a mouth.
So right now, seen people
encounter Gators and it has not
ended.
Well, they‘re nesting now and
they‘re very protective moms are
very protective over their
babies and their nest so once we
get out of breeding season,
which you know, we just got Them
hormones are flying crazy, you
know their minds are on, you
know procreating.
That‘s what they want to do.
And this is the time of year
where you know here in Florida.
We love being in the water.
We‘re in every you know, it‘s
hot so we want to cool off too.
But what should we do if we
realize that we like if people
recognize what you just
described and you‘re kayaking or
you know paddle boarding and you
end up in that area.
Shouldn‘t you do back up and get
out as quickly as you can, you
know, honestly look at them from
a distance keep your distance be
as best.
You can be aware of your
surroundings.
I know it‘s hard, you know, you
might be down here visiting and
you‘re not familiar with the
area, but you really got to be
on the watch.
They‘re not out to get people.
I mean, you know, their main
diets are turtles fish and birds
small things.
But again, they‘re very curious,
you know, and their
opportunistic feeders.
So if it‘s easier for them,
they‘re gonna take that easier
way.
Okay, so I‘ve always wanted to
know if I‘m in the water.
I‘m swimming in my favorite
spring.
Yep Gators coming at me.
All right, some people say you
take the fingers.
You jam them in the eyes.
Yes other people say give them
your arm and let them just rip
it off.
go for your face.
Absolutely not.
Okay.
What are my best?
It‘s not so heard.
The knows is a really good spot.
Okay, so the eyeballs is not
true.
I‘ve all sink right down in the
sockets in the head to help
protect them.
I‘m gonna try and show you here
right now.
Okay, so you see they go down
and they pop back up so I can I
could take my finger and stick
it down As far as I want.
I don‘t want to do that, but I
can stick it down as far as I
want and that eyeball sinks down
in the socket.
So that‘s not true at all.
You just made a bad can‘t stick
him in the eyeball kids to go.
That‘s not gonna hurt them the
nostrils.
I mean box.
I know yeah, you know that
that‘s not true.
All right the nostrils, I mean
even for this little guy you‘re
not gonna get your finger in the
nostril, but let‘s say an adult
they only breathe through their
nose.
They don‘t really breathe
through their mouth at all
through nostrils, so in that
instance if you were being
attacked by an alligator, and
you could think in that process
to take your fingers and stick
them in the nose.
You might get lucky, you know,
it happened a handful years ago.
There was a girl.
Yes a girl seven year old girl
that got attacked in the Orlando
area in a swimming area and she
credited Gatorland us for
knowing how to do I thought of
what they taught me at,
Gatorland.
So I put my two fingers up it‘s
nostrils.
It couldn‘t breathe So I had to
be from snuff.
I opened its mouth and let my
life.
God bless her heart.
We‘re just so thankful that she
didn‘t just give up and just
stand there and scream a holler
because the animal could have
really done some big damage.
She came on a field trip.
She might have heard a
presentation.
We might have talked about it,
but it‘s not a hundred percent
guarantee, you know, but that‘s
your best shot.
Okay point out where this so the
nostrils right up there the tip
of the snow the two little holes
here.
I‘m just gonna hold her shot.
Okay, I see him.
Yeah, so that‘s all they breathe
through.
So if you know you‘re able to
stick it in it might scare the
gator away because it can‘t
breathe, but that‘s not a
guarantee.
Yeah and be able to do that and
punching and kicking or whatever
else on the head.
It‘s all bone.
You‘re gonna break your hand.
So your That if you‘re in the
water and you‘re able to because
most people what do they do they
spend their time?
Shallows, that‘s where they feel
safe when the swimming around
stand up make yourself look
bigger than what that alligator.
I mean, honestly you think about
it.
Even if we had a you know, a
seven foot Gator sitting on the
floor here in front of us or
even a 12 foot Gator sitting on
the floor in front of us.
We still look like Monsters to
them.
You know, they got to look up.
Yeah, so we‘re still bigger than
them.
They don‘t realize that they‘re
bigger than us and you know
could potentially hurt us very
very much So you got to make
yourself look bigger, but
Typically, you‘re not going to
have that situation.
You know, you‘re not going to
run into that because they they
really are afraid of us or that
we are them.
Okay, so to recap don‘t offer it
a sacrificial arm. No, don‘t do
that at all.
Just a theory okay are so you
don‘t give it your life.
Would you rather just die.
Yeah, I mean, I don‘t know.
This is an albino and then
there‘s also a leucistic gator
that you guys also have a
Gatorland.
Yes.
Gatorland. Yes. So how rare how yeah tell us.
How rare this is how rare the
other one is and what the
difference is between the two
are because I‘ve always been
confused by that.
Yeah, definitely.
So looking at story here being
an albino alligator albino means
there‘s no pigment at all.
No color whatsoever on the skin
and you can see it in the
eyeballs.
Yeah how white kind of pinkish
you can see the blood vessels in
the eyeballs as well because
there‘s no color at all.
It is crazy seeing those eyes.
I gotta say it‘s beautiful.
They‘re pretty they‘re
mesmerizing, you know to look at
and even more Rising than that
are white leucistic alligators,
so these guys they‘re all
brothers that we have.
We have three out of seven in
existence today and Obama in the
world in the entire world.
There‘s only seven remaining and
they were all found in 1987 in
Louisiana as they were hatching
out of a nest in the wild in the
wild and with albinos.
There‘s probably about four or
500 in the world.
These guys have been bred in
human care before you know, so
you can you know, there‘s
facilities that have other
albinos and so so on and we have
a handful there.
She‘s not going to survive in
the wild.
Never never neither one of them
would ever be able to survive in
the wild.
Okay last question before we let
you go and it‘s a short one.
Would you go in any lake in
Florida to like water Ski or
float around or Swim?
Yes, definitely, but you know,
you just got it.
You got to be careful get into
clear one Don‘t go in that muddy
murky water stuff because that‘s
you know where you can break
control.
Okay, give me that spring fed
Lake right and Fisher from
Gatorland.
Thank you.
Welcome.
Thank you.
What a beautiful name.
I have a daughter named Sawyer.
they‘re both very pretty.
It got Gonna Get You?
That‘s true.
Thanks for watching Florida‘s
fourth estate.
We‘re gonna come right back with
a look at next week‘s edition.
>> John Morgan represents the largest personal injury law firm in the world but he is a local.
We will talk to him.
All sorts of interesting issues