Don’t Panic

Boy, have I got a tale to tell you today. This past week while I was walking Emmylou (# 4 in the usual order) my subconscious mind registered the dark elongated shape of nothing other than a 6.5 foot Gator resting in between 2 houses. Startled, I immediately reined a violently protesting Miss Ems in to get her back home. Please know that we were never in any danger as this Alligator was facing away from us and we were actually across the street on the city Right of Way. The Gator was bordered by solid fencing on 2 sides heading away from the pond. My heart racing in anticipation of a photo shoot, I wrestled with my little Striped Hyena all the way back home to the garage. Grabbing my keys and jumping into the truck, I immediately headed back only to find the Alligator had spotted us and moved on. In the meantime, a home owner drove up and I begged permission to check his and the neighbor's backyard for a decent sized Gator...

I cautiously made a pass in the backyard, quickly scanning the grass not spotting my quarry anywhere along the fence lines. When I turned to make my way back I saw why. She was lying on a back porch pad entangled in a string of lights that had been hung over the back door. In her struggles to escape the wire she had pulled most of it down around her. She saw me and slapped that powerful tail of hers against the house with a resounding thunderclap. I have to admit I jumped backwards quite a ways as she propelled herself forwards (away from me) out of the wire and immediately rested in a defensive position. My heart racing with excitement, I watched her for a few minutes when the next door neighbor peeped around the corner of the house to check on me. I assured him I was OK and I was just going to watch her. Sure enough, after about 20 minutes she got up. 

I put a call in to our local NCWRC officer to alert him of the situation. After some back and forth questioning, he asked me if this was an emergency at this time, to which I reported no. I figured she would make her way back into the pond after encountering multiple dangers in her new environment including light strings and a crazy grey haired old woman staying behind her. I gave him the location and resumed my observations ready to alert anyone if they happened by for the safety of everyone involved. She would get up and move a few yards and collapse to rest warily eyeing me in the interim.

Oh No she didn't... Oh yes she did! I knew she would go for the cool shadows and cover of the truck... Again, she rested for a time then moved on just as expected... Lesson #1: If you spot an Alligator out and about don't panic. Chances are they are just looking for a new habitat or if in the spring, a mate. Keep your distance and wait. From the time I saw this Gator out of her element (the water) to the time she splashed down back into the pond was about 2.5 hours. I stayed the course because I knew if she continued on her original course she would trap herself or wind up on someone else's back porch seeking the coolness of the cement. It was blazingly hot that day. Lesson #2: Alligators don't generally want to be around us humans. If not habituated by feeding they will leave if we are present. Lesson # 3: NEVER EVER FEED ALLIGATORS!! It causes them to lose their innate fear and to associate an easy meal with people endangering both us and the Gator. A FED GATOR IS A DEAD GATOR! Just don't do it!!
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​All‘s well that ends well.
What a Day!! Whatta day Ya'll...