Firefighters Warned Not to Feed Alligators Near Disney Lagoon

,' communications caption Claude Roger’s wrote in an April email sent to Reedy Creek’s fire [...]

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(Photo: Twitter / NBC Washington)

More news has surfaced regarding the alligator attack in Disney World in June. According to newly released emails, firefighters are said to have been feeding at least one of the two alligators less than a mile away from the Seven Seas Lagoon where 2-year-old Lane Graves was snatched and killed.

Employees were warned to stop feeding the reptiles in April by supervisors at Reedy Creek Emergency Services, which serves Disney World. Feeding the reptiles is illegal because it causes them to lose their fear of humans, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

"It was brought to our attention firefighters are feeding the alligators (this is illegal)," communications caption Claude Roger's wrote in an April email sent to Reedy Creek's fire command staff.

"The communicators have found [one alligator] by the station, near the dumpster, and where they park their cars. As you can imagine this is making the communicators nervous because they are fearful of walking to their car and their leg becoming dinner. We have notified Animal Control to remove the alligator. In the interim could you ask your crews to stop feeding the gator."

The emails revealed that one gator was a baby, while the other was between 4 and 5 feet long.

Reedy Creek District Administrator John Classe told the newspaper he believes the feedings were only near the station.

"You would think that the firefighters would be a little bit more in tune with the trouble that could cause and not do it," David Hitzig, executive director of the Busch Wildlife Center, told the Sentinel. "You would figure they would have more common sense than that … When you feed an alligator, you're attracting it to people."

Following the toddler's death, Disney installed new warning signs including a red caution sign, warning guests to "stay away from the water" and "do not feed the wildlife." It also warns guests that there are alligators and snakes in the area.

This story first appeared at Womanista.

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