Residents across Southeast Louisiana say they’ve been spotting more alligators in neighborhoods and local waterways. Wildlife officials confirm the encounters are up.
“It’s not that there are more alligators in Louisiana overall,” explained Jeb Lipscomb with Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. “What’s different is where those calls are coming from.”
Lipscomb says new development, particularly on the Northshore, is likely pushing gators into unfamiliar areas. That means more sightings in places like Bayou St. John and across St. Tammany Parish.
He also cites some developments come close to wetlands, making an alligator meeting more probable.
Wildlife crews are deployed to relocate the animals whenever possible, but Lipscomb notes that isn’t always the outcome.
“If an alligator poses a threat or has already caused harm, they may have to be put down. There’s also an active hunting season.”
As for advice on staying safe, Lipscomb kept it simple: “Touch the water, if it’s wet, there’s a gator there!”
While said in jest, his real advice is to leave the alligator alone, get to safety and call Wildlife and Fisheries and they will send a nuisance trapper to safely relocate the animal.
Gator encounters are not only up in Louisiana. Development across the South has more people in many places seeing more alligators.
Authorities from eleven states have partnered to try and "allow for alligators and humans to coexist." A website created this year called gatorwise.org aims to educate people about gators, and reduce conflicts with the animals.
