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Alligator season: Give ‘em room
Posted Apr 11, 2011 by Tom Jackson
Updated Apr 11, 2011 at 12:22 PM
Nothing particularly newsworthy to report here. It’s just a reminder that as our temperatures rise, many of the creatures with which we share our surroundings will become increasingly active. And even though they generally are content to go about their business and leave us to tend to ours—there’s an admirable streak of libertarianism in much of the wild kingdom—we are well-advised this time of year to respect nature’s boundaries.
The young alligator shown here has made its home in the cypress preserve that’s part of the warehouse district along Pet Lane in Wesley Chapel, where the Pasco Tribune maintains news, advertising and circulation operations. We’ve been watching it since it showed up last spring, small enough to fit into a shoebox, basking on the banks of the retention pond next door. It’s about 5 feet long now, and—as these photographs of watchfulness and retreat indicate—it maintains a healthy shyness. Good for it, good for us.
We’re content to observe it at a distance while adhering to a strict no-feeding policy
This also bears noting: The Tampa Bay area abounds with water features both natural and manmade. This time of year especially, when the thoughts of Florida’s reptilian symbol alternate between the no-nonsense urges of feeding and procreation, it is wise to presume that there’s at least one alligator for every lake, pond or oversized puddle. As fascinating as they are—languid one moment, exquisitely ferocious the next—they are not to be trifled with.
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