In Texas, wayward alligators are flood victims and unwelcome house guests
Huge alligators have been turning up in unlikely places - including at least one living room in Texas
Humans were not the only ones displaced by Hurricane Harvey’s epic flooding in south Texas and Louisiana. Now, as the waters recede, returning residents are finding neighbours from the animal kingdom in unexpected places.
On Friday, Brian Foster returned to his Lake Houston, Texas, home on Friday to find a three-metre-alligator in the living room. The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office published a photo of the reptile, which was shortly afterwards collected by wildlife control officers.
According to Chris Stephens, aka Gator Chris, a “nuisance control hunter” with the non-profit, Houston-based Gator Squad, reptiles have been suffering just as people have. Alligators, which cannot withstand the fast moving floodwaters for long periods, were forced to find higher ground where people were also seeking refuge.
“Their ponds and creeks are overwhelmed with water, so they’re finding themselves in unfamiliar neighbourhoods surrounded by people and they don’t have much of a choice,” Stephens said.
“So it’s been common for folks coming home to find ’gators. They’re not overly aggressive. They’re just dislodged, and refugees from the hurricane themselves. They’re dishevelled and upset.”
For the most part, he says, the alligators will return to their natural habitats as the floodwaters recede and the rivers and bayous return to their normal boundaries.
“The rules of coexistence break down during a flood, so right now our job is to keep the balance between them and the people, keep everybody getting along, but we can’t leave them all alone, like the one that was found in the house.”
