Lake Waccamaw Mayor Matt Wilson said officials hope to find a “happy medium” in dealing with alligators at the lake.
“There are folks who just want to kill them all, and those who don’t want any of the hurt in any way,” he said. “It’s not an easy problem to solve. There are a lot of moving parts. Plus, they have always been here.”
Officials from the Wildlife Resources Commission met with town leaders in Lake Waccamaw Wednesday to discuss the June 13 incident that left a 12 year old girl seriously injured. Biologists differ on whether the alligator clawed or bit the girl. She is recovering from her injuries. The alligator was driven off by the girls’ father and uncle, who identified the alligator Saturday before it was killed by Wildlife Enforcement officers. The alligator was 12 feet, one inch in length.
The incident is being described by the Wildlife Commission as a “dangerous encounter” rather than an actual attack.
“The evidence suggests that thankfully this was not a predatory attack. Regardless, this alligator’s contact with a human resulted in an injury requiring medical attention,” the WRC said in a news release.
“This was the first time in my 49 years I know of that somebody was hurt by an alligator,” Wilson said. He noted that fishermen have reported having their boats bumped by gators, and pets are occasionally reported missing, but actual conflicts between alligators and humans are rare in North Carolina. It is thought to be the first documented case of an alligator attacking or hurting a person.
“We have a lot more gators now than we used to, and we have more people as well,” Wilson said. “It’s inevitable there is going to be some kind of conflict. We are taking steps to reduce those conflicts and be prepared if we have another problem alligator.”
Wilson said Lake Waccamaw Police and State Parks personnel will be undergoing training on how to deal with the saurians. Wildlife officers have handled most problem gators, he said, but “sometimes they are working alone, or may be across the county.”
Some gators can be captured and relocated, but any alligator that shows aggression toward humans, especially one that hurts a person, will be destroyed, Wilson said.
“Not every alligator you see is going to be a problem gator,” Wilson said.
“If an alligator is determine to be a nuisance, there are ways to haze the gator, to make it go away. If one attacks a human in and way, it is destroyed.”
The focus needs to be on preventing alligator-human interactions, rather than responding, Wilson said.
“We are trying to educate and get people to understand that if a gator gets used to eating at a certain place, it will stay around,” he said. “If you’re feeding the ducks, you’re feeding the alligators, since they hunt ducks. If you’re cleaning your fish and throwing the waste in the lake, you’re feeding the gators. If you throw your table scraps on the canal bank for the scavengers, you’re feeding the gators.”
Most permanent residents understand about alligators, Wilson said. Visitors often don’t fully realize the problems of habituating alligators to seeing humans as a source of food.
“We’re encouraging folks who own Air B and Bs to post a placard or a sign on the property warning people about the dangers,” Wilson said. “A sign on your dock will go a long way to letting folks know as well.”
The state’s Gatorwise program (GatorWise.org.) has several resources for learning about and dealing with alligators, Wilson said.
“Always assume alligators are in the area,” Wilson said. “Don’t intentionally feed alligators, or put scraps where they will attract alligators or prey animals. Never try to handle a gator. Keep a close eye on your animals if they are in or near the water. Alligators will prey on dogs and cats. And always be aware of everything around you when you’re in the water.”
If an alligator appears to approach you or another human, Wilson said, “get to safety as quickly as possible”.
“If there is a gator hanging out near the end of your pier or dock for more than 24 hours, there’s a reason for him being there,” Wilson said.
The state approved an alligator season in 2018, but the permitted hunts are very limited. Municipalities may open an alligator season with strict rules and guidelines, but Lake Waccamaw has not asked for a season. Wilson said the natural solution for many people to open permit hunts at Lake Waccamaw, but that isn’t as easy at it seems, Wilson said.
“The lake is a State Park,” he said. “You can’t hunt in a state park. Property owners along the canal own to the halfway point in the canal. Then there’s more state land. People aren’t going to want hunters crossing their yards and shooting alligators. There are a lot of factors at play that we’d have to work out before the town could have an alligator season.”
The state is asking for reports of larger alligators in the lake or spending extra time around docks and piers.
“If you had told me a couple years ago that we would have a twelve foot alligator injuring someone at the lake, I’d have called you a liar,” Wilson said.
“I know the family involved in this,” Wilson said. “Our hearts go out to them. That could have been my own daughter. They weren’t doing anything differently than we have all done our entire lives.
“But the alligators are here. They’ve always been here, and we have to live with them.”
The WRC has asked to be notified of large alligators that are spending time around piers, or just in the lake during daylight hours. Also, officials want to be contacted about any alligator that regularly approaches people or is exhibiting a general lack of fear or aggressive behavior.
The Wildlife Commission’s Human Wildlife Interaction hotline is available Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at 866.318.2401 where you can speak with a biologist. Emergencies after hours or to report a situation on the weekend please contact our 24-hour law enforcement hotline at 800.662.7137.
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