FREDERICK NEWS POST (Maryland) 08 June 06 Alligator surprises campers - 2-foot baby reptile found in Brunswick (Adrienne Lee)
Brunswick: Randy Wachter and his family had an unexpected visit while staying at the Brunswick campgrounds during Memorial Day weekend.
A 2-foot baby alligator dropped by, perhaps for a bit of sun or a barbecue.
"The alligator was just walking along the bike path," said Jill Wachter, Mr. Wachter's sister. "But my brother put a towel over its head, picked it up and brought it back to the campsite."
According to Harold Domer, division director at Frederick County Animal Control, the baby alligator was found May 27 along the bike path between the Md. 17 bridge and the Brunswick campgrounds, near the Potomac River.
"It hissed a little bit, but it was pretty friendly," Ms. Wachter said.
The Wachter family called Frederick County Animal Control to take care of the alligator. Animal Control Officer Tamalyn Stocker arrived to help.
"If someone finds a stray or wild animal, they should call Animal Control right away, and not disturb, restrain, or provoke it," Mr. Domer said.
Officer Stocker said the call was unusual.
"Animal Control receives many calls about alligators, but many times they are iguanas or other large reptiles, so I didn't think it would really be an alligator," she said.
When Officer Stocker arrived at the campsite, the Wachter family had the alligator secured in a box.
"I was pleasantly surprised," Officer Stocker said. "I have never handled an alligator before, but I thought it was interesting."
Once the alligator arrived at Animal Control, it was put in water, fed and checked to make sure it was in good condition, Mr. Domer said. The alligator was transported May 30 to the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo because it is better equipped to take care of exotic animals.
Alligators are not native to Maryland; they usually live in Florida or other warm and moist climates.
"They would not survive the winter in Maryland," said Richard Hahn of the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo.
Mr. Hahn said a law in Maryland prevents people from keeping crocodiles or alligators as pets, and the one found was probably abandoned by its owner.
"People are trying to abide by the law and not have alligators as pets, but they are wrong in the way they remedy the issue," Mr. Hahn said. "There have been 18 orphaned alligators in this area in the past three to four years."
The Catoctin Zoo intends to place the alligator with other alligators when it grows to about 3 feet long. It is kept in a special area for now, because alligators will eat other alligators if they are too small to defend themselves, Mr. Hahn said.
Alligators can grow as much as 1 foot per year under normal conditions -- temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees. Some people will keep their alligators in climates of 90 degrees and above, Mr. Hahn said, and they may grow 5 to 6 feet per year.
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Alligator surprises campers