Blinky, the Alligator!

Alligators! Living in Florida we know we share the environment with a few of these local reptiles, precautions are in place to help insure the safety of the public and still allow places where gators can be gators. One popular story of lore in Lakeland is the tale of an alligator who wanted to live in the city…Blinky, the one-eyed alligator of Lake Mirror.

Dating back to the 1930s, the Lakeland newspaper noted a one-eyed alligator dubbed “One-Eyed Joe” in and around Lake Mirror. By the 1970s, this gator, or possibly another one-eyed alligator – approximately 11- foot long, 400 pounds, would be known as Blinky. He became a legend in the downtown as he frequently walked Main Street and along the promenade. He became a tourist attraction with people clamoring to have their photograph taken with him. If he got too far out of his environment, police or citizens would herd him back towards the water.

Blinky served as the town’s unofficial mascot due to his somewhat friendly demeanor. He allowed humans to pet his head, and rub his back, much like you would a puppy. Children and adults would flock to feed him anything from popcorn, to marshmallows, to table scraps even though it was against the law to feed alligators. Some people even dared to let Blinky give them a kiss. One such photograph appeared in the local newspaper lead to his downfall.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, states on its Web site. “By feeding alligators, people create problems for others who want to use the water for recreation.” In 1978, this commission put the City of Lakeland on notice to do something to separate Blinky from the public for their own protection. Many of the City Commissioners were fans of this alligator and sought alternative ways to retain their favorite ‘gator in his beloved lake. Chain-link fencing, and enlarging concrete embankments brought a hefty $1 million dollars price tag.

Though the town rallied for retaining this beloved king of the lake, the final solution was to habitat Blinky to an alligator friendly preserve at Homosassa Springs to live out his days in peace. In 1979, he was taken to the preserve where he had other ideas. As a long time lone gator and somewhat of a celebrity, he soon found a challenge at the reserve with a 1000-pound crocodile named Jake. Being a friendly gator, Binky would look for companionship with Jake daily, which often aggravated the 'croc' into a fight. He pushed his luck one time too often with this much larger reptile, leading to the final altercation being the demise of Lakeland’s beloved Blinky. See you later, alligator!