A Guest in our Neighborhood's Retention Pond...

Bell Ridge Forest in Beulah had an alligator in the retention pond on Sunday.  FWC will be coming out to remove and relocate him...

I got a text message early yesterday morning from a concerned resident of our subdivision Bell Ridge Forest in Beulah.  I get a lot of questions and comments from residents and citizens as a County Commissioner--but this one was a first!

One text message, partially in jest, said

"We have an un-welcomed guest in the holding pond.....alligator.  Any idea who I can call within the county to get it removed?"

"Another resident sent this  "Have you seen the 6-foot alligator at our duck pond?  What should we do about it?  Go look at it."

Obviously these are a native species in our area--but this time of year and in this location it seemed kind of odd.  15 years living in this subdivision and I have never spotted an alligator in our pond.  Several residents, myself included, went out to look at this alligator and take pictures.

I emailed Chips Kirchenfeld and Janice Gilley at the county about the issue.  I heard back very quickly and the information was given to the residents.  FWC hires trappers that will come in and remove/relocate nuisance alligators--they are the entity that needed to be contacted

I anticipate at some point later this morning or today the trappers will come to the neighborhood to remove the alligator--estimated by one resident who took close-up photos to be between 5-6 feet long.

Hopefully they'll take him someplace where he can live out the remainder of his days--safely away from people in neighborhoods.