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Who's responsible to warn you about gators?

Attorney Doug Burnetti said if the city or a neighborhood knows of a specific problem in one of their lakes or ponds, including nuisance alligators, they should warn you.
 

Wildlife officials still haven't said if they caught the alligator that attacked a two-year-old boy at Disney last week.

Since then, Disney has put up signs at the lagoon warning visitors of alligators. But what about city parks surrounded by water and neighborhood lakes in Tampa Bay?

When it comes to who's in charge of safety, it depends on who oversees the waterway. Attorney Doug Burnetti said if the city or a neighborhood knows of a specific problem in one of their lakes or ponds, including nuisance alligators, they should warn you.

"The warning needs to be specific: 'There is a dangerous alligator here, or beware of the dangerous alligator, or know that people have been bitten by alligators here before,'" he said. "The more specific, the more likely the owner's going to have some protection."

The City of Lakeland said it's not legally required to put up signs in its parks, but it does. There are signs posted near the lakes that get a lot of traffic.

"Especially those where we know that alligators like to get out and sun themselves, and there could be interaction with our citizens," says Kevin Cook, director of communications for Lakeland.

What about private ponds in a neighborhood?

Doug Burnetti tells us the owner could be liable if a gator attacks someone. It's best, he says, to play it safe.

"Just put a specific sign up that says, 'Beware of Gators, and 'No Swimming,' by the way," he said. "Swimming is an important one, especially in a pond in a homeowner's association because there's a lot of kids possibly running around."

Burnetti said whether a city or private landowner could've done more to prevent a gator attack, or could be liable for it, depends on the specific circumstances of it. Ultimately, it's up to a jury.

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