Fans of Hardhide, a 65-year-old alligator that has been on display in Ponchatoula for more than a dozen years, can rest easy. Arrangements have been made for the nine-foot, 350-pound reptile to return to the farm where she was hatched in 1957.
Owner Mike Kliebert said his grandfather hatche Hardhide, and she’s lived at the Ponchatoula Country Market for 13 years.
“They (LDWF) did put a statement out and said that it was a chance that they could potentially euthanize her but moving her to the family farm could be something that we could do,” said Kliebert.
Kliebert said he is very thankful that Hardhide will be moving to the family farm, after inspections and permits were cleared. The controversy even spawned a Facebook group “Save Old Hardhide.”
The 'gator has become somewhat of a mascot for Ponchatoula. Kliebert said the community rallied for Hardhide to keep her from being euthanized. He said many questioned why she could not be released back into the wild instead.
“She’s lost her natural fear of people and that makes it dangerous to people of course when they get hungry, so you can’t let her go, and being in the public’s eye is not an option,” said Kliebert.
The average life span of an American alligator is 30 to 50 years and up to 70 years in captivity. Kliebert said he along with the community is relieved that she’ll be able to spend her golden years where she was born on the family farm.
“She’s not a nuisance, she’s served our community for such a long time she deserves the right to live out her life,” said Kliebert.
At the request of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, her retirement date is not being released to avoid crowds during the retrieval process.
