Encounter with a Gator

On August 27, TOS received an email from a visitor to our Sabine Woods Sanctuary recounting a hair-raising encounter with an alligator at that location. Here is her story, followed by a response from Dr. John Whittle, our Sabine Woods consultant:

I was at Sabine Woods at – is it “Howard’s”—mister and water feature at about 2:20 or 3:00 p.m. I sat there for several minutes, on a bench nearest the pond, then decided to move to a bench nearer the mister.

As soon as I stood up, I heard a thrashing and splashing in the pond behind me. Thinking a gator might be taking down a bird or big fish I turned to look. There was an 8’-10’ gator running (and I mean RUNNING!!) through the water toward ME!!!!

I jumped back onto the bench getting my legs and feet up, as though that was high enough to protect me. I sat very still. As soon as I stopped moving, the gator stopped moving. It kept its head above water, though, for about 15 minutes watching me. Finally, it turned and swam in the other direction, and sank completely below the surface. As soon as I was sure it was gone, I lit out of there!!!!

I took the long way ‘round to the other mister and sat for 45 minutes, or so, calming down.

I realize there is nothing that you can do, and there are probably several gators that size in the ponds in the woods, so there is no way to identify the critter. Still, the suggestion was made that I report the incident, here you go!!! Report made!!

Debbi Logan

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We know there is at least one large gator in the pond currently. Gary is going to see if Gator Country might be willing to come and either take it for their collection (on IH-10 west of Beaumont) or else relocate it for us into a nearby part of Texas Point NWR.

That having been said, the pond dried up completely last summer during the drought, so the gator moved back in as an adult under its own power. We do from time to time observe gators traversing the Woods apparently en route from one pond to another. There are large ponds in the extensive marshes in Texas Point NWR to the south just across the road and also a large pond in Doornbos property a few hundred yards north of the Woods, and I suggest that if we remove one gator from our pond it will be replaced by another from one of the surrounding ponds in short order. A couple of years back there were four or five in our ponds.

I think it unlikely the gator was targeting a visitor -- they generally stay away from people and probably was chasing a large bullfrog, but obviously we warn visitors not to allow infants or small humans to go into the water, to the extent we can prevent that if a visitor is not cautious and sensible. We had a group of researchers studying chicken turtles a year or two back, and they entered the water (at their own risk) regularly without any issues, even when there were gators present. The behavior of gators in the surrounding marshes over many, many years does not suggest that they will attack humans, even if wading in the water as many hunters do, although we will be sure to take action if a female tries to raise a family on the edges of our pond. There is evidence that feral hogs go after gators, probably looking for eggs to eat, and we have a feral hog problem from time to time.

If we see more evidence that we have a real problem gator, then we will talk to gator country more urgently.

John

30 Aug 2024

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