Unwanted New Neighbor
 

So due to flooding caused by Irma, our neighborhood pond became a lake. And with the lake came a gator about 5-6 feet long. Before Irma,we had plenty of ducks, egrets, and cormorants at our pond and even a heron or two. Now, zip, zilch, nada ( and they say animals are dumb). So, how do we get rid of this pest? Do we take up a neighborhood collection to hire a trapper? ( is that legal?) Does the State or County handle this? All serious solutions are welcome but please don't answer that "It's just nature". Overpopulation of gators is not "nature", it's a failure of conservation management.

maybe in time , the lake will go back to the pond.

It is just nature....conservation management is humans attempt to change that. Not saying that it's wrong, only that we can find any excuse to change what we find offensife.....we should call it for what it is. Controlled extermination.

You are right, animals are not dumb. If there is not a consistent food supply, the gator will move on. Give it time.

I have seen a lot of dead and squish snakes on the road after Irma , flooded out I guess.

Mother nature will do as she pleases through her timing and schedule.

or in the dry season a weed patch?:22yikes:

The gator will move on, probably when the lake shrinks back to a pond. Have patience, grasshopper.
And please keep any dogs well away from the gator's habitat.

Funny you should mention that... Yesterday I drove from 466A to Nancy Lopez. There was a surprising amount of road kill on the way, some of which would have stopped Granny Clampett. I wonder what's up with that.

We were out on an air-boat ride over the weekend, the guide explained that almost all of the birds had moved out of the area since the water was too high for their normal food source, and they would be back once the water receded. As for the alligator, do a search on this site, or online for the fish and game(?), there is a phone number to call for nuisance alligators.

One alligator in a pond in Florida is considered overpopulation?

One gator in a new area = pest? overpopulation? Not understanding that.

I live on Evans Prairie, and we've always had a number of birds, including Herons. Since the hurricane, we've had even more.

The Egrets moved into our shallower areas in great numbers. We have many more Ibis with their poke, poke, poke bills.

We've also had more alligators, of all sizes. They come and go. We had a BIG boy for about three days - at least eight feet. He's gone now.

Nature is an ebb and flow. Your birds may be here at my house. Unless he's getting in your lanai, let him go.

Remember if you call a trapper it is a death sentence for the gator. They do not trap and release.

An alligator in a pond, who would have? thunk it