{Paperboy to Bill: You havn't been lurking in AR have you? The photo at the URL seems to resemble some of your photographic handiwork of late ... particularly the gator's expression while gazing at the object of interest!}
THE COURIER (Russellville, Arkansas) 15 March 06 Gators, turtles and ducks ... oh my! (Scarlet Sims)
Photo: A rather large alligator with a toothy grin is seen Sunday resting on a log near a turtle and a Canadian goose at Bona Dea park in Russellville. (Dustin Childers)
Although it doesn't have an official name, the alligator at the Bona Dea Trails and Sanctuary in Russellville has become a popular attraction.
"For the most part, people are glad to see it out here," said Robert Ahlert, natural resource specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "It's something new."
Dustin and Kathy Childers of Russellville are regular "alligator hunters," walking the trails to try to spot a glimpse of the estimated 6-foot alligator and snap photos.
"Most people told us they didn't believe that there was an alligator out here," Kathy said.
The first time the Childers saw the reptile, it was around Swing Bridge, but recently it seems to have relocated to a marshy area around Washburn City Park. Dustin said the alligator was spotted sunning across a walking trail just last weekend.
"As long as he's not bothering anybody or causing any trouble, we've kind of let him stay," said John Gallagher, wildlife biologist with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in Russellville.
He said the alligator had been in the park for at least four years without incident. As long as people use common sense and not feed or approach the alligator, there is very little real danger in allowing the alligator to reside in the park, he said.
"Alligators are usually pretty shy of humans," Gallagher said. "If people get too close to them they like to submerge and get out of sight."
Kelly Irwin, a herpetologist with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in Little Rock, agreed.
"Alligators won't cause a threat to people if people will use common sense," he said.
People should be aware of their surroundings and definitely not feed the alligator. Gallagher said feeding the alligator would increase the risk of confrontations and create a dangerous environment.
"They become habituated to humans, and the conflicts begin," Gallagher said. "We'd prefer they (people) don't feed anything; it just causes trouble."
No one knows how the alligator came to the park, but Gallagher suspects it may have been a pet that was released.
"We don't know why this one's here," he said.
Whether it was released or not, the marshy, shallow waters in the park make perfect conditions for alligators. The alligator is likely to stay in its home range as long as there is sufficient water and food supply, Irwin said.
Alligators will eat anything that fits down their throats, but their main diet consists of birds, turtles, fish and snakes, Gallagher said. They can drastically reduce snake populations.
Alligators were native to Arkansas, and Russellville is in the far north end of their native range.
Gallagher said there were other reports alligators in Pope County.
Overhunting and the decimation of habitat killed off most alligators in Arkansas, but today, alligators are on the rebound, Irwin said. Although, they are still protected from hunting.
Irwin said discerning the sex of the alligator was difficult, but any alligator that grew over eight feet in length was typically male.
Alligators can grow more than 15-feet long and weigh more than 1,000 pounds, Gallagher said.
"They're just pure brute strength," he said. "You cannot imagine just how powerful an alligator is until you handle one."
The average life span of an alligator is about 30 years in the wild, but alligators can live up to about 50 years, Irwin said. The age of the park's alligator is uncertain, and Irwin said there was no way to tell the exact age of the animal.
The Bona Dea alligator is already drawing watchful eyes. The Childers said people stopped and looked when the alligator began sunning itself this weekend.
Gallagher said the warm weather would draw the alligator out more, so more Russellville residents may be able to go "alligator hunting" and catch a glimpse of the powerful reptile in their own backyard.
Gators, turtles and ducks ... oh my!
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