NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – State wildlife experts have removed a large reptilian predator from near the heart of one of the city\u2019s busiest tourist areas.<\/p>\n
They moved in near the Steamboat Natchez pier area Monday night (July 28), after learning of close encounters between humans and a 9-foot alligator.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tourists were feeding it marshmallows, like they were on a swamp tour. I told them that wasn\u2019t the best idea though,\u201d said marketer Kenneth Clark, who works near the boat.<\/p>\n
The large gator was becoming a popular tourist attraction, and state wildlife experts were concerned.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt becomes a dangerous situation with the alligators when they are fed and they become accustomed to human traffic,\u201d said Jeb Linscombe, an alligator expert with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.<\/p>\n
As the gator lurked Monday night beneath the Natchez pier, nuisance alligator hunters on call with the state agency stepped into action. They first snared the alligator on the river\u2019s edge, then fatally shot it, removing the threatening visitor just off Decatur Street.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish they could\u2019ve relocated him, without taking him out,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n
State alligator experts said if this gator had been smaller — around 6 feet — he probably would have been relocated. Larger alligators can be sold for their meat and hides, but smaller specimens usually are relocated.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery small animals — less than 6 feet — really don\u2019t have a market value,\u201d Linscombe said. <\/p>\n
Every year in Louisiana, the state says more than 30,000 alligators are harvested, including 1,000 \u201cnuisance gators,\u201d who are removed with the help of a network of on-call hunters.<\/p>\n
Clark said he hunts and fishes in the region and knows how dangerous nuisance gators can be.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything with teeth can be a threat to a tourist,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n
For now, the threat is over. But wildlife experts urge people not to feed or interact with gators, and call (337) 262-2080 if there is a nuisance gator nearby to prevent attacks.<\/p>\n
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