Posted on 05/20/2003 3:56:19 PM PDT by NEBO
ANGLETON — Six alligators were caught earlier this week after some fishermen on a private lake near Rosharon complained about the animals.
Lt. William Skeen, a game warden with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said the fishermen reported seeing an 11-foot alligator Monday.
On Monday, Jason Newsom, of Newsom Wildlife Co. in New Caney, which specializes in rescuing unwanted animals, went to the lake, located near the CR 42 and FM 521 intersection, and saw 20 to 30 alligators.
On Tuesday night, Newsom and some game officials captured six alligators ranging from 5-and-a-half to 13 feet. Newsom said he saw 40 to 50 alligators at the lake Tuesday.
The largest alligator caught was 13 feet and weighed 667 pounds.
“We weighed him at a truck stop,” Newsom said. “We never dreamed we’d find a 660-pound alligator.
Newsom said five of the alligators will be taken to his ranch in New Caney, where they will reside. He said the 13-foot alligator was too dangerous and had to be shot.
“The 13-footer was out of control,” Newsom said. “He bit the boat and put a hole in it. We had to get in another boat so we didn’t get in the water.”
Skeen said that in the Houston area, including Brazoria County, has a seen a rise in nuisance alligator calls since 1999. That year there were 195 nuisance alligator calls. In 2000, there were 280 calls; in 2001, there were 320 calls; and in 2002, there were 336 calls.
“We are on track this year to exceed that,” Skeen said.
Newsom said he comes to Brazoria or Fort Bend counties at least once a week on a nuisance alligator call.
Skeen said the state agency only responds to nuisance calls. Just because someone sees an alligator, it doesn’t necessarily make it a nuisance alligator, he said.
“We don’t need to know about an alligator,” Skeen said. “They are just doing their thing. We just respond to dangerous ones. If an alligator is in its habitat we are not going to mess with it. But if it’s a danger to humans or humans are a danger to it, we will respond to it.”
Newsom said in the case of the alligators in Rosharon, one was bumping the boat of the fishermen.
Skeen said he thinks there has been a rise in nuisance alligator calls because of a larger alligator population and residential developments encroaching on their habitat.
“You’ve got an increase in the alligator population cause we’ve done a good job of protecting them,” Skeen said. “The population has increased so there is more alligator-human interaction.
“You have an increase in residential and commercial development into what was wildlife habitat,” he said. “Where you have subdivisions and developments, they are being forced into other habitats. That increases human interaction.”
Newsom said the private lake isn’t near any residential developments, but thinks that since the alligators’ hibernation season recently ended, they are venturing out trying to find food.
I've got a wallet made from elephant foreskin. When you rub it expands into a suitcase.......
All except the gator!
<grin>
Yep.
When I was a guide in the Okeefenokee Swamp, you have no idea how many upset dog owners came screaming up to us to "do something" about the gator that just gobbled up Fifi. Signs all over the place to watch after pets and children and they think because the things walk so slowly that they can't possibly catch a dog or child.
We would always watch families with kids and dogs and warn them. Moms would always hold their kids' hands but always seemed to think that the family pet could take care of itself.
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