NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – State wildlife experts have removed a large reptilian predator from near the heart of one of the city’s busiest tourist areas.
They moved in near the Steamboat Natchez pier area Monday night (July 28), after learning of close encounters between humans and a 9-foot alligator.
“The tourists were feeding it marshmallows, like they were on a swamp tour. I told them that wasn’t the best idea though,” said marketer Kenneth Clark, who works near the boat.
The large gator was becoming a popular tourist attraction, and state wildlife experts were concerned.
“It becomes a dangerous situation with the alligators when they are fed and they become accustomed to human traffic,” said Jeb Linscombe, an alligator expert with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
As the gator lurked Monday night beneath the Natchez pier, nuisance alligator hunters on call with the state agency stepped into action. They first snared the alligator on the river’s edge, then fatally shot it, removing the threatening visitor just off Decatur Street.
“I wish they could’ve relocated him, without taking him out,” Clark said.
State alligator experts said if this gator had been smaller — around 6 feet — he probably would have been relocated. Larger alligators can be sold for their meat and hides, but smaller specimens usually are relocated.
“Very small animals — less than 6 feet — really don’t have a market value,” Linscombe said.
Every year in Louisiana, the state says more than 30,000 alligators are harvested, including 1,000 “nuisance gators,” who are removed with the help of a network of on-call hunters.
Clark said he hunts and fishes in the region and knows how dangerous nuisance gators can be.
“Anything with teeth can be a threat to a tourist,” Clark said.
For now, the threat is over. But wildlife experts urge people not to feed or interact with gators, and call (337) 262-2080 if there is a nuisance gator nearby to prevent attacks.
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