Video of parents making children pose with wild alligator resurfaces online; draws ire

An old video of parents urging their young children to pose next to an alligator has resurfaced online and has drawn the ire of netizens. In the video the adults can be seen urging their two young girls to stand alarmingly close to the alligator. The girls seems nervous and scared but the parents seem to be oblivious.

Meanwhile, the alligator is seen with its mouth wide open in the grass. Another woman can also be seen posing for a picture nonchalantly. She then calls a child over to join her in the photo. Next, a man can be seen casually taking a photo with the child. While the children in the video seem to be nervous and unsure of taking photos and videos so close to a giant wild reptile, the adults seem unperturbed.

NDTV reported that the incident took place in Everglades National Park in Florida, US.

One user wrote on Instagram, "Don’t think that is the brightest idea."

Other users commented on the callousness of the parents as they seemed to be oblivious of the dangers associated with coming in close proximity to a wild alligator.

"The parents need to be arrested and stringent action taken against them for recklessly and knowingly endangering the kids' lives," wrote another user.

According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Alligators have been present in Florida's marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for many centuries, and are found in all 67 counties. With growing human population man-alligator conflicts also occur routinely. Certain steps and measures are to be taken to in order to minimise any harm to human life as well as to conserve the wildlife.

The residents of Florida are advised to take certain precautions like swimming in lakes, ponds, rivers, wetlands and other waterbodies only during daytime and to not let pets swim at all. Also, one should always maintain their distance from the wild reptiles and never feed them.