Alligators here can be dangerous neighbors

News that an alligator dragged off and killed a 2-year-old boy in Florida may make residents take an extra look at the water in the Tri-City area, where alligators are common sights.

There are signs all over Lake End Park that read “swim at your own risk,” office worker Dianne Griffin said.

“We don’t tell every customer that comes in,” Griffin said, “but they pretty much know.”

If someone sees an alligator, the park contacts a nuisance alligator hunter to retrieve the animal.

Sometimes, both children and adults lack any fear of alligators, Griffin said. “They’re out there swimming and we tell them ‘Y’all get out the water because an alligator was spotted.’

“Very seldom they (alligators) go inside the ropes, where they swim at, very, very seldom. They usually stay outside of the buoy line. But even when we spot one and we tell them to get out, they aren’t scared.

“They’re used to that. We’re in their habitat.”

If alligators are reported to Morgan City police officers, they will assess the situation.

“If they’re small enough and our officers can do so without injuring alligators or themselves, they will catch them,” Capt. Teddy Liner said.

“We get a lot of like 2 feet range,” Liner said. “We have a catch pole. And they’ll catch them … . They’ll relocate them, put them in the Intracoastal (Waterway) and get them away from the city.”

But if the alligators are too large, the officers contact Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries to request a nuisance alligator hunter.

Since April 15, Morgan City Police Department received 46 alligator complaints, Liner said. Within the same timeframe, St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Department received 15 complaints. Berwick had 11 complaints. And Patterson police reported none.

“We get a large number of complaints,” Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologist Edmond Mouton said. “Over a year, we’ll receive over 2,000 complaints statewide.”

Heavy rain brings more alligators into residential areas via natural waterways.

“In areas like Morgan City and Berwick, where you can get some local flooding, you may have alligators that move out of wetland habitat into a neighborhood or urban areas because of how those ditches are connected to wetland habitat,” Mouton said.

“And because it’s water, they’ll move into that habitat. Once the water drains, they’ll move out. So sometimes, you’ll have temporary issues with alligators.”

Landowners need to contact Wildlife and Fisheries if there is a nuisance alligator problem, Mouton said.

The department will assess the situation over the phone. Property owners are issued a complaint number and contact information for an alligator hunter. After the hunter comes to the location and assesses the problem, a decision will be made whether to relocate or dispatch and haul off the animal.

Alligators less than 6 feet long are relocated, Mouton said. If the alligator is larger than 6 feet, it can be a hazard and public safety issue to both the public and the hunter.

There are 5,500 to 6,500 individuals statewide who participate in the nuisance program. These individuals are seasoned alligator hunters, professionals, and private individuals licensed and permitted by the department to patrol nuisance alligators.

Nuisance Alligator Hunter Danny Dupre tags alligators above 6 feet and sells the hide. He services St. Mary and Lower St. Martin parishes.

Dupre and Mouton both caution that people should not feed alligators.

“That’s the worst thing you do is feed them because they’ll come back looking and they’ll grab you if they have the chance,” Dupre said. “Usually, they’re very skittish, but if they start to getting where they are feeding them or around people a lot … they’ll get more aggressive. Once you start getting a big alligator that’s aggressive, he’s dangerous … because he’ll come right up to you.”

If an alligator gets hold of its prey, the results are often devastating.

“Once it gets connected, they’ll take it under and drown it, if it’s a live animal,” Dupre said. “If a big alligator starts rolling on you, you can’t stop it. I mean the power is unbelievable.”

Mouton says it’s best for residents to go to the Wildlife and Fisheries website for more information about nuisance alligators at www.wlf.la.gov.