If you spot an alligator on your property or on a public road, call the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Office, (251) 626-5474.
The city of Daphne, Alabama, is warning its residents to ‘Beware of Alligators,’ since recent storms have forced many gators to surface in some unlikely areas on land, including parking lots on the causeway, according to a published report.
On Friday, officials sent out a social media post reminding parents of small children to pay attention near the water’s edge, and for pet owners to keep pets on a leash, especially near any body of water, CBS News reported.
"They get pushed out. That heavy, torrential rain washes them out of where they're at, and then they're going to try and find somewhere else to set up shop," Charles Epler of Wildlife Solutions said, according to CBS News.
"About 83% of their diet in the wild is turtles. I think that's why there's so many over here in Daphne," Epler said.
Some of these baby alligators have been reported in parking lots along the causeway and along the heavily traveled Highway 98 in Daphne, CBS affiliate WKRG-TV reported.
Epler cautioned folks not to provoke or feed an alligator if we see one.
"Alligators are ambush predators,” he said. "They will lay directly under the water's surface and when you're talking about our dark water around here they can be very hard to see even in a foot of water."
He added: "They're far more scared of people than we are of them. Look for signs of alligators. Look for slides, look for footprints.”
In the meantime, the post the city sent out has been causing quite a stir.
One person asked, "Why not relocate them so we can enjoy the public access to the bay?"
While another person seems delighted seeing the reptiles: "I love seeing them! They are even at my store in parking lot but only small ones so far."
If you spot an alligator on your property or on a public road, call the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Office, (251) 626-5474.
