“With the authorization from TPWD, a very large alligator was removed from the area along Upper Bay Rd. in Nassau Bay on Friday evening,” the department wrote on social media alongside a photo of Timothy DeRamus of Bayou City Gator Savers straddling the reptile while securing its jaws.
“The alligator was measured to be 13 ft in length. The alligator will be relocated to an alligator farm in El Campo, Texas.”
DeRamus later said it was the biggest alligator he had handled.
Although the peak of alligator mating season, which generally runs from March through May, has ended, TPWD says the reptiles remain active throughout the summer. Female alligators continue guarding nests and hatchlings, while younger alligators disperse in search of new territory. Drought and heavy rainfall can also increase alligator movement.
Officials are urging people to keep pets on short leashes, closely supervise children near the water and stay at least 30 feet away from alligators.
Anyone swimming should stay in designated areas and avoid the water at dusk and dawn, when alligators are most active. Anglers who encounter an alligator interested in their bait or catch should cut the line and move to another location.