Fire Damages Orlando's Gatorland Park

A fire early Monday destroyed a section of Gatorland, one of Florida's oldest tourist attractions, and killed as many as four pythons and crocodiles, according to the Associated Press. The fire damaged the gift shop, entrance and ticket booth, and the giant concrete gator head that serves as the main entrance. Alligators were apparently safe in a lake, but the fire claimed two 8-foot pythons kept in a pen near the gift shop, according to park spokeswoman Michelle Harris. Two 5-foot crocodiles held in the same pen are missing and feared dead. The 110-acre park opened in 1949 and attracts 400,000 tourists every year. Gatorland houses a few thousand animals, according to the park's director of media production Tim Williams. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

It is always sad to hear about a fire claiming the lives of innocent animals that have no way of escaping. I wonder if the park had fire detectors in the pens where the animals are housed. If not, they better invest in a fire alarm system to protect the wildlife in the park. I also wonder if someone is on duty at all times monitoring the animals. I think this tragedy could have been avoided with better fire safety precautions by the park. Hopefully in the future such an incidence will be avoided by better fire safety regulations in the park. These animals are innocent and defenseless and deserve to be protected by their keepers.