"Bringing Nature Out of the Darkness" is the title of the book that Carey McWilliams is working on. McWilliams lost his sight 28 years ago, when he was just 10 years old, however he has never let that stop him in any of his adventures, whether it be writing, or sky diving. His latest adventure, hunting an alligator.
Usually homeowner's association's biggest worries are regarding kept lawns, yards, fees paid on time, etc., but the Vista Cove neighborhood in St. Augustine, Florida has an alligator to worry about. An alligator is living in the pond in the neighborhood.
Two years ago a reptile salesman showed up in Kennett, Missouri. He is believed to have sold at least 50 alligators in the town before police officers were able to stop this illegal activity and get him out of town. Now that the alligators are getting older, and not as easy to keep in a house, the Kennett Humane Officials are trying to round up the alligators before they are released into the wild.
Florida's Everglades National Park has been in the news lately, with images of a large python consuming a whole dee to tangling with alligators. It is believed there is a population of over 100,000 pythons taking over the Everglades. However they are not the only non-native species that is threatening the Everglades, but they receive the most attention. The population is just an estimate, since they have been able to infiltrate every area inside the park.
Pathway Community Church near Jackson, Michigan had a newcomer Monday. Motorists driving by the church reported seeing an alligator, a rather unusual sight in Michigan. Police came to the scene and were able to slip a noose around the gator and then wrapped duct tape to keep the mouth as hazard-free as possible. The alligator was around 6 feet long and will be sent to a sanctuary.
An alligator that turned up in Pennsylvania's Beaver Run Reservoir most likely will not survive through the winter. It is believed the alligator was a pet that someone decided they were not equipped to take care of, and it ended up in the reservoir. It is believed to be maybe 1 to 2 years old and about 5 feet long, but estimates could be off.
State wildlife officer David Straub was at Florida Lake Apopka Wednesday night when he noticed an airboat at about 10 pm - it was shining a light on the far shore. Straub stayed and kept an eye on the airboat for 6 hours. When the airboat returned, one of the men from the boat carried a sack up to a parked pick up truck.
Researchers at University of Louisiana at Lafayette have been studying alligator fat. Annually American alligator meat processors trim the fat and throw it away, over 15.4 million pounds per year goes to the dump. The researchers were given frozen fat from state officials and seafood industries to work with.
