ORANGE LEADER (Orange, Texas) 05 September 05 Alligator encounters on rise so use caution (Tommy Mann Jr.)
Summer is in full swing and so are the number of alligator sightings across Southeast Texas.
Most people know well enough to leave alligators alone and not to approach them, but some are fool hardy enough to try and feed them.
"Alligators are having a higher profile right now," said Monique Slaughter, a biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area in Port Arthur.
"This is their time of year to be active, which will last until the middle of October or shortly after. Then people will forget about them until next spring."
The alligator was once an endangered animal, but it was removed from that list in the 1980s. Sustainable hunting has been allowed in Texas and Louisiana since 1984.
Alligator experts say the most important rule for the public is to never feed an alligator or allow it to get food.
Once an alligator loses its natural fear of people it must typically be killed, she said, since if relocated it would only seek people to find food and become a problem again.
In October 2003, it became a Class C misdemeanor for any person to intentionally feed a free-ranging alligator. This crime is punishable by a fine of from $25 to $500.
Using bait for legal hunting by licensed hunters or nuisance-alligator control hunters is not interpreted as feeding.
"These animals are highly skilled predators," said outdoors expert and enthusiast Chester Moore Jr. "I've recently seen a 6-foot gator in a tributary in West Orange near Adams Bayou."
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the alligator population for Orange, Jefferson and Chambers Counties is estimated to be around 286,000.
"There are definitely a lot of gators here," Moore said. "The more freshwater a marsh has, then the more alligators you will find there because food will be more abundant."
Although Moore has never really encountered a bad situation with an alligator, he did say he had a good scare once.
"I encountered an 8-foot gator around Pleasure Island once," he said. "It popped up out of nowhere about 5 feet in front of me while I was fishing. It made me wonder where he came from and take a few steps back very quickly."
In Texas, no fatalities have been documented due to alligators. In the past 15 years, there have been 17 reports of injuries due to alligators statewide.
"We have not had any reports of incidents this year," Slaughter said. "A couple of years ago we had a situation that involved some duck hunters, but that is to be expected when you enter their territory like that."
The definition of a nuisance-alligator is an alligator that is killing livestock, pets or becoming a threat to human health or safety.
Slaughter said people should just really use common sense if they ever encounter an alligator and follow a few safety tips.
Keep a safe distance of 30 feet or more. It is rare for wild alligators to chase people, but they can run up to 35 mph for short distances.
Alligators are naturally afraid of humans. They will usually try to run away when encountered. If one is encountered, then you should just back away slowly.
Never swim in areas where alligators are commonly observed, and never approach an alligator nest or pod of younglings. The female alligator surely will not be far away.
If you hear an alligator make a hissing sound, then that is its way of warning you that you are too close.
Alligators can occasionally be seen basking along the banks of ponds and rivers in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. They do this to warm their bodies in the sunlight.
The 87 Hunting Club, which is located on North Highway 87 past Highway 12, has had numerous reports of alligators this year.
"We had an incident where a gator got hold of one hunter's dog," said Keith McDaniel, game warden for the 87 Hunting Club. "The dog got loose somehow, but it cost the man around $700 after rushing his dog to the vet."
McDaniel said there have been several recent sightings.
"One guy told me he saw one alligator about 10 feet long in one of the ponds out here," he said. "My brother-in-law saw one in the middle of the road that was about 5 feet long. He didn't realize what it was until he got right up on it."
Alligator encounters on rise so use caution