CHARLTON COUNTY, Ga. — A researcher came across a rare and potentially terrifying sight in southeast Georgia.
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A rare congregation of around 300 alligators occurred at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge last Saturday, marking a unique event witnessed by researcher Mark Hoog.
The congregation took place at the boat basin and canal leading from Stephen C. Foster State Park into Billy’s Lake, lasting 24 hours from the morning of July 26to the morning of July 27.
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The alligators were most active in the early morning and late evening, hunkering down during the hottest part of the day and periodically surfacing for air, according to the University of Georgia Coastal Ecology Lab.
Video released by the university shows the water turning brown as the alligators stirred up mud and sediment from the bottom of the swamp. The congregation was not related to mating, as there was very little bellowing and no courtship displays observed.
Researchers aren’t sure when the alligators come together like this. They believe it’s a combination of food availability, water level and temperature.
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