FGCU Wildlife Encounters
 

The Florida Gulf Coast University campus is a pristine nature preserve, home to a variety of animals. Alligators, bears, coyotes, raccoons, bobcats, panthers, boars, and deer are just a few of the species that inhabit the land FGCU is built on. Coming here as a freshman, I had heard stories of wildlife encounters on campus but didn’t pay much attention to them. A few weeks into classes the stories began to come up more often, and I started to wonder if I was going to have such an experience myself.

 About two months into the first semester I was up late and decided to go for a walk. Upon exiting FGCU’s freshman housing parking lot I noticed my friend throwing a plastic bottle into the shadowed bushes. When I reached Darren a coyote came out of the bushes and walked right up to him. I was awestruck to see the coyote was holding Darren’s empty coke bottle in its mouth. It turned out that Darren Dill was playing a game with the coyote. Dill would throw the bottle into the bushes and the coyote would race to the bottle, clench it in its jaws, and bring it back to him. The coyote became so playful it jumped off the ground and took Dill’s hat right off his head. Getting this involved with any wild animal is strongly discouraged by FGCU campus police and animal experts. Dill stated that he has also had close encounters with a panther, a wild boar, and a deer while living in FGCU’s freshman housing.  I previously thought coyotes were dangerous, but despite stories of their aggression, this encounter has led me to believe otherwise. The coyote has been living around the south village housing of FGCU’s campus since the beginning of the academic year. Several students have reported seeing the coyote on a regular basis. My roommate Edward Foley stated, “Alright check it, them coyotes are all over the place. I saw one attack a raccoon just the other day.” Foley said, “After attacking the raccoon he followed me from south village to parking garage number 2 without any hesitation”.

My second encounter didn’t occur until Friday, February 12, 2010. On the way to an FGCU hockey game around 9:30 p.m. the coyote sprinted out of the bushes and stopped right in front of my car. I turned my brights on and he continuously stared right at me. After a moment he began walking down the sidewalk so I followed it. The coyote had no fear of my car or our camera flashes. The wildlife on campus is getting used to having humans incorporated into their environment and is becoming a problem. In the beginning of the school year there were two alligators in the South Village dining hall lake that were killed because they became to comfortable around people. When wild animals are around people for long periods of time and are fed they become a danger to FGCU students and staff.

            Every student that chooses to attend Florida Gulf Coast University will find out that the wildlife stories they hear from orientation leaders and upperclassmen will soon become stories they are telling themselves. Besides random encounters with coyotes and raccoons, one of the most intense stories involves a bear. Nicole, a friend of mine that lives in North Lake village housing has had several encounters with a black bear that has been roaming FGCU for the past couple months. “One late night I was going for a walk when I heard loud bangs coming from around building S,” said Nicole. “Making my way around the building, I froze to the sight of a bear going through the garbage,” stated Nicole. “I began running, and the bear chased after me until I reached the safety of my apartment,” said Nicole. Black Bears are one of the more dangerous creatures that inhabit FGCU’s wilderness and should be avoided as best as possible. If you find yourself face to face with a bear you should slowly find safety indoors. Running will only capture a bear’s attention and if hungry, black bears have been known to charge and attack humans.

Nicole’s bear encounter was by far the most dangerous and shocking I have heard, but the most bizarre is Dave Diprato’s story. Coming to the end of my freshman year at Florida Gulf Coast University, I have heard countless versions of the giant alligator story. I refused to believe that alligators larger than a couple of feet lived in the lakes that I swim in. About a week before winter break began I was proven wrong. “Around one A.M. I was feeling hungry and decided to go grab some food” said Dave. Diprato drove around campus and when he reached Ludgert Hall of Business, he braked as hard as he could. The twelve foot alligator everyone tells stories of walked right in front of his car. “I sat there and watched it slowly cross the street,” said Dave. After listening to Dave tell his story, I started to think back to all of the other tales I had heard throughout the year. A lifeguard at FGCU’s waterfront had told me a shocking story that until I met Dave I had ignored. One early morning on the lake wake boarding Tom, the lifeguard had fallen off his board and was waiting to be picked up. Suddenly the massive head of an alligator emerged from the murky water right next to him. He said the gator must have been at least ten feet long. Now that I have had personal confrontations with campus wildlife I am more cautious about swimming in North Lake’s waterfront. As appealing as swimming to the buoy at 3 A.M. may be I strongly recommend staying on land. Alligators hunt at night. You can only hope to be one of the students that get the chance to tell a story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fer9LEP5UrA

Real wildlife encounters