MISSISSIPPI PRESS (Pascagoula) 10 July 06 Moss Point gator snagged (Nikki Wittner)
Moss Point: A Sunday afternoon crabbing in a bayou near Griffin Street cemetery, turned exciting for the May family and their neighbors, when a 7-foot alligator made an appearance.
Duncan May of 5230 North Shore Circle, said despite the inconvenience, he might be glad the alligators have returned to his backyard.
"Last year we didn't have a problem cause they hightailed it out of here," he said. "I think it was because they knew hurricanes were coming. This year they are sticking around, so maybe we won't have any hurricanes."
May has lived on North Shore Circle for 10 years, and said this is the fifth alligator captured on his property. The largest was 14-foot, May said. Ryan Rawls, nuisance alligator trapper for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks, said alligators have been very prevalent this year.
"I have trapped 50 to 60 gators already this year," he said. "That is just in the last couple of months."
May said he has seen four or five alligators while sitting on his dock, crabbing or fishing with family and friends. May's wife, Elena, said her main concern is the safety of her grandchildren.
"I know this is their (alligators') natural habitat and that we have encroached on them, but I don't want them to hurt my grandbabies," she said as she dropped her fishing line in the river.
One of the May grandchildren caught a small alligator last week with a rod and reel. "We turned it loose," Duncan May said. "It was exciting for my grandson, but it isn't really something we want to be doing."
Rawls set several traps near the bank of the May home this week, and snagged the 7-foot gator Sunday at 3 p.m. David Landrith of 5212 North Shore Circle, showed friends and neighbors gathered at residence, digital photographs of the alligators attempting to evade the traps.
Using chicken parts for bait, Rawls was able to capture the alligator and remove it safely from the residential area. Landrith said alligators are more common in their neighborhood this year, although he doesn't know.
Rawls said he is also unsure why there has been an increase in sightings this year.
"There might be more of them because of the drought we are in, but I am not really sure," he said.
Rawls added that alligators are natural inhabitants of the area, and are only a nuisance when they pose a threat to pets or people. To report a nuisance alligator, contact local law enforcement.
Moss Point gator snagged