As summer approaches, Texans head for the water. Many are unaware that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Association estimates there are as many as 1,000 alligators living in Lake Houston, the San Jacinto River and the waterways connected to them. Alligators can grow to be 12 to 14 feet long, and there have been several recent sightings.
"I walk my dog every Saturday and Sunday," said Bob Rehak, Kingwood Service Association Parks Committee. "I've photographed alligators at East End Park and I watch out for them. Recently, my dog and a couple others had just waded into the water when I spotted an alligator. Apparently we were too close to its nest. The alligator bellowed and hissed."
Rehak said the dogs were called out of the water as the alligator, some distance off, started toward them.
"There was another recent sighting. A Kingwood photographer, Mike Beswick, spotted five alligators at dawn near the boat launch at River Grove Park."
Rehak said Beswick told him he "saw these strange eyes gazing at him." Rehak said alligators are territorial and will approach a canoe or kayak. Beswick, according to Rehak, paddled about a quarter of a mile with the alligators trailing him, before they lost interest and swam away.
"Everyone needs to be aware they are in the area," said Rehak. "Alligators are able to hide in as little as 18 inches of water, and they are perfectly camouflaged. People swim in the lake, and since the alligators are rarely seen, many people don't believe they are there."
Rehak said that alligators are a part of the natural world and the parks' ecosystems. He said they feed on wild hogs, blue herons, fish, turtles and nutria, a semi-aquatic rat-like rodent that can weigh up to 20 pounds.
He said there is no record of anyone in Kingwood every being harmed by an alligator, but warns that people should not feed them, as this will encourage them to see people as an easy food source. Rehak said it is a Class C misdemeanor to feed them and that a person can be fined up to $500.
He said as long as their space is respected, alligators should not pose a problem. He added that the most troublesome times for them are at dawn and dusk, when they commonly feed, and in the fall, when their eggs hatch and their territorial instincts kick in. Most alligators nest in June and their eggs hatch from late August to early September.
"Unless you're faster than Olympic runner Carl Lewis, you can't out run an alligator," said Rehak. "If you see one, just back away and call Texas Parks and Wildlife at 281-842-8100 if one becomes a nuisance."
Those classified as a nuisance are those that have lost their natural fear of humans or are behaving aggressively.
He said the alligators seen in this area are the same variety one would see in the zoo. He said at one time they were a protected species, but are now culled during hunting season.
"It's against the law to hunt on KSA property. As long as a person stays on the trails, they are no threat," he said.
He said the animals have staged a remarkable comeback and are highly adaptable. He said they can be found in Anahuac, High Island and in rivers and bayous as far north as Dallas.
For information on how alligators are an important part of the local ecosystem, visit http://eastendpark.com/naturessigns/treescars.html.
Photo by Bob Rehak
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