NEW BERN, N.C. – State wildlife officers have issued a spring warning for alligators in eastern North Carolina.
As temperatures rise, the number of alligator sightings increase.
The NC Wildlife Resources Commission wants folks to know feeding, harassing, moving or killing alligators is illegal in our state.
In the last 4 years, there have been various incidents with alligators in North Carolina, including one that ate an 80 pound dog in Jacksonville in 2013. Last Summer, a large gator also blocked a road in Brunswick County.
One wildlife commission officer has this tip for avoiding gators.
“The biggest thing we ask people not to do is do not feed or harass alligators,” said Chris Kent.
Kent also recommends keeping pets on a leash and never leaving young children unattended near bodies of water.
He also says never feed ducks and geese in areas where alligators have been spotted.
Kent says if you happen to cross paths with an alligator, “Just keep your distance from it, don’t ever try to approach it, it is against the law to feed them, it’s against the law to harass them.”
Earlier this year, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission considered allowing the public to hunt and kill alligators.
However, the group rejected the proposed alligator hunting season because of, “an abundance of caution and desire for additional biological information,” according to the commission.— WNCT-TV contributed to this report
