Mating Season Has Alligators on the Move

It`s alligator mating season and that has people on edge in Southern Florida. As gators prepare to mate, they become hostile - fighting amongst themselves for terrority, and that hostility has crossed over to humans. Gators killed three people in May. It is not just Florida where gators are on the move. Game wardens have had their hands full lately wrangling the reptiles in the Ark-La-Tex. Chester Robinson was relaxing on his porch Tuesday morning when he saw something odd in his front yard. "I thought I was still asleep actually because I`ve never seen one," Robinson said while standing outside of his home on Giles Lane in Bowie County. Robinson saw an alligator was scrampering towards his tire pile. "I got a stick and tried to turn him way, but he went up in those tires." It was game warden Shawn Hervey`s job to get him out. After a few minutes of hunting for the gator, Hervey managed to capture the reptile. Hervey said, "He`s about a three and half foot long alligator...pretty common to see in these parts." Game wardens like Hervey have been busy lately. "The water levels are real low. They`re having to search out a place to live and for food," said the ten year veteran of Texas Parks and Wildlife. Another reason alligators are on the move is the start of mating season. The big ones - 6 to 10 feet long - are usually looking for mates. The smaller alligators are looking for new places to live because they`ve been kicked out by the bigger ones. The alligator outside of Robinson`s house is getting a change of address...game wardens plan to move him to a less populated area. Experts say unless an alligator is near your home or posing a danger to your pets the best thing to do is leave it alone. Jason Clark reporting jclark@ktalnews.tv