Here in California we have a few bears up in the mountains, but rangers chase them through (and away from) campgrounds with pop guns. They don't sound too dangerous.
Rattlesnakes? If you get close enough to one to make it rattle, back the truck up. Don't mess with it.
Yes, there are sharks off the coast, but shark attack stories don't usually come from California. And in the greenbelt along the American River there are some mountain lions, but they've apparently learned to give the humans wide berth.
Bottom line, we don't have too many big bad animals here in California.
So where did this alligator come from???
A seven-foot alligator was found in a California river and wildlife authorities aren’t sure how the animal got there...
Before the alligator’s death, the animal was captured and brought into the Wildlife Care Association of Sacramento, a wildlife rescue in McClellan, California, by a man who claimed to have found the alligator swimming in the American River near Sailor Bar Regional Park.
6 comments:
Informative article as far as it went, but I want to read about the man who comes upon a 7 foot alligator in a river where it shouldn't be, and has the motivation and the means to capture it and transport it to the wildlife rescue center.
Agreed.
Aww, only a 7-footer? That's just a baby! Alligators are only scary during the time of year when they're nesting, hatching eggs, and raising their young. Outside of that window, they're more afraid of humans than humans are of them.
I call BS on that, Anonymous. I'm pretty damn afraid of alligators, although...
After a cruise in 2014, my son and I took a tour to the Everglades since our plane didn't leave till the evening. At the end of the airboat ride we all hopped off into this glade--and there were alligators all around. Just lying there, watching us. My heart probably stopped. Our guide said not to worry about them, they'd eaten recently and were just sunning themselves. Some people played the fool and got pretty close to those dinosaurs for a selfie; I, believing discretion is the better part of valor, stayed in the "middle" of the large group of people.
Rules for coexisting with alligators, courtesy of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/alligator/safety/index.phtml
"In spring and summer, alligators are moving to breed and find new habitat."
"If you hear an alligator hiss, it's a warning that you are too close."
"Alligators have a natural fear of humans, and usually begin a quick retreat when approached by people."
Here's a story from last month, with video. A gator crawled up the banks about a mile west of downtown Houston. https://abc13.com/houston-alligator-sighting-buffalo-bayou-gator-are-there-alligators-in-is-it-safe-to-get-water/12920643/
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