The alligator may have attacked because it was a small child.  May not have realized it wasn't an animal.  I took a swamp tour in Louisiana once and the man operating our boat would throw marshmallows and chicken to the gators so they would follow the boat and people could see them.  He said any time someone was holding a small child on the boat the gators wouldn't take their eyes off the child.  But how can a fancy resort like that allow gators in a man made lake?