BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – With most students gone for the summer, Research Park is usually all joggers, families, and disc golfers, but this week, a small alligator showed up in one of the ponds on Texas A&M’s campus.
When a viewer sent a video to KBTX of the unexpected reptile gliding through the water, I knew I had to see it for myself. Sure enough, there it was- a small alligator, sitting in the middle of the pond as curious onlookers stopped along the bank for a closer look.
A small alligator showed up in one of the ponds on Texas A&M’s campus.(KBTX)
Research Park is a popular, public spot on campus where families walk, kids watch turtles and fish, and disc golfers sometimes step into the water to retrieve lost discs, which is why the sighting is getting so much attention.
I spoke to one park regular, Drew Bowen, who said he grew up coming to Research Park with his mom and now brings his own kids to do the same.
“When I was growing up, my mom would bring me here, we would feed turtles and catch frogs and look at the fish and enjoy the ducks,” Bowen said. “It’s so fun to come out and bring my kids. They caught their first turtle and then got to name it.”
But an alligator looming in the water changes the routine, especially for disc golfers.
“I’ve played disc golf here a bunch of times, sometimes I’ll jump in to try to get a disc for them,” Bowen said. “Then you notice that there’s an alligator in there and… I’d never expected to see an alligator out here.”
A Texas Game Warden told me it’s not unheard of for alligators to turn up in unexpected places, especially after heavy rain, when higher water can push wildlife into new areas. This time of year is also a more active period for alligators.
That said, wardens can’t say for sure how this one ended up at Research Park. Possibilities could include moving through connected waterways or someone illegally dumping it.
Small alligator spotted in pond on Texas A&M campus.(KBTX)
Because the gator is small, it’s not considered a major threat right now, according to the warden. However, because Research Park is such a public area, it will likely be removed.
This isn’t the first gator sighting in the Brazos Valley. In 2021, an alligator spotted at John Crompton Park in College Station was removed due to its location in a residential area.
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