SPRINGDALE, S.C. — Many of us coexist with alligators here in the Midlands, and it's important to be informed about them and their behaviors, especially this time of year during breeding season, when they are more active and on the move.
Experts said just because an alligator is big, doesn’t mean it's a bigger threat. It depends on the reptile's behavior.
While they can be seen here in the Midlands, alligators are not nearly as common as along the coast.
For example, the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) says they got 21 calls from Lexington and Richland counties, compared to nearly 250 in Charleston County.
"Down toward Santee, Sumter area, Manning, we get a lot more calls. We will get calls of just people walking some of these nature trails in Cayce and West Columbia," said Justin Ludy, founder of Palmetto Wildlife Extractors.
Ludy says the reptiles like to be near a water source like a swamp or a river.
"If this was a swimming hole, an active swimming hole, it would be different, but obviously there's a bunch of overgrown grass, so it's just an adequate environment for any types of wildlife. You have herrings, you have turtles, a lot of food source here," Ludy said.
In this scenario in Springdale, "Frank," as he's commonly known, is not bothering anyone.
Experts say a gator would pose a higher threat if it was hissing or approaching people, but it's still good to practice caution.
"Don't let your dog, your smaller animals go out swimming in the water. Don't let little kids go out kicking their feet in the water," Ludy said.
Both DNR and other alligator control agents say they would only remove a gator if a threat was there.
"Not all alligators are aggressive. They're just doing their thing and moving on," Ludy said "They're curious. They'll get curious. If you're fishing and you have a stringer full of fish and you have it tied off, they're of course going to come because that's their food source."
According to experts, alligators do most of their hunting at night and most often their diet consists of turtles.
If an alligator is a hazard laying near a car or swimming pool for example, call DNR immediately.