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Gators on the prowl as rains swell lakes
By JON WILSON, Times Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG -- Tread carefully next to lakes and ponds these days. Tropical rains may have alligators on the move. Motorists and fishermen near Lake Maggiore, for example, last week reported seeing more than the usual quota of saurians in and around the lake off Dr. M.L. King (Ninth) Street S. Some, including one or two described as longer than 6 feet, were reported to be uncomfortably close to sidewalks that edge the lake's eastern shore. It's because recent rains fill the lake and make it easier for the gators to come closer to shore, wildlife experts say. "We had exactly the same thing happen last year. We really had them moving around with two tropical storms," said Gary Morse, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Lakeland office. "I wouldn't expect the conditions to be quite as pronounced (this year). But you see movement all the time." The FWC estimates Florida has 1.5-million adult alligators to share space with about 16-million humans -- or about one gator for every 10 people. Alligators made the news last week when an 11-footer nicknamed named Mojo bit off the right forearm of a botanical gardens director in Alachua County. Don Goodman was in a water garden as part of his job and didn't see the 392-pound gator. Alligator assaults are rare, experts say. The FWC has documented about 300 since 1948. Twelve were fatal. The best precaution upon seeing an alligator is to go around it, putting substantial distance between it and you. The FWC also warns people not to feed alligators or other wildlife near the water or walk dogs near gators, especially at night or at dusk. Dell Holmes, St. Petersburg's parks director, estimates 300 to 400 alligators live in Lake Maggiore, which is the city's largest. "I remember we had a tropical depression and the lake overflowed. This 14-foot alligator got into the street and basically blocked traffic," Holmes said. Authorities say it's best not to report a simple alligator sighting. If one is just swimming, or even sunning itself on a bank, leave it alone unless it's causing a dangerous situation. Those in charge of responding to gator complaints stay busy: for example, the FWC's Lakeland office gets about 5,000 calls a year from people reporting alligator problems. If the beast is truly threatening, the toll-free number to call is 1-888-404-3922.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks Letters |
