The World Is Not Your Trash Can!
On a recent impromptu stop at the gator pond, we discovered that someone had illegally dumped a table into the pond, right on an alligator’s favorite basking spot. Someone had also defaced a sign. Needless to say, we were disappointed and disgusted! There was no sign of the resident gator, Beau/Popeye, which may have been due to the table or the cooler temps.
We contacted Alligator Alliance and began to brainstorm possible solutions. If a person could get the table out, as a part of Alligator Alliance’s Adopt-A-Highway participation, the table could be properly disposed of.
With a rope and lasso skills, from the side of the road, the table was dragged safely out of the pond. The graffiti was also wiped from the sign. Woohoo! As warmer days approach, our favorite gator will once again have his comfy basking spot again.
We hope that we can take a step toward preventing illegal dumping, especially in wild habitats like this one. Education, information, and attention may change people’s mindset and stop them from dumping and littering. That will make us and the gators very happy!
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