Alligator Makes Its Home in Evans Pond
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Alligator Makes Its Home in Evans Pond
It's no baby alligator, nor is it unknown. WJBF News Channel 6's Paige Tucker found out about the neighborhood reptile.
It’s no baby alligator, nor is it unknown. WJBF News Channel 6’s Paige Tucker found out about the neighborhood reptile.
Evans, GA—He’s no new nuisance, and most people say he’s no nuisance at all. The he, if it’s not a she, is an alligator who lives in a pond near Brown Feed and Seed, between Washington Road and Old Evans road, in Columbia County.
“He’s been here about four years, and he’s grown every year,“ says Donnie Brown, who owns the feed store.
Brown wasn’t surprised to see us; this is a reputable reptile. “He was only about this big when we first got him about four years ago. I think one of my buddies put him in the pond, just to play a trick,“ he says. Donnie thinks that trick has tripled, or at the very least doubled over the years.
Donald Deas just discovered the gator and sent us pictures to prove it. “It’s a big alligator. We just, pretty much the reason why we called y’all is so people would know he was in here. Because I see people fishing here all the time, just so they’d be aware that there’s a big alligator in here,“ he says.
Brown says he and his dog, Bella, did have a run-in with the alligator once, but for the most part he considers it part of the neighborhood. He just wants to make sure people who patronize the pond know it’s there. “That’s the only experience we’ve had with him being aggressive. I don’t think he would hurt anybody. I hope he wouldn’t. If he does get a danger, then we will have to do something about the alligator, but everybody seems to like him. He’s friendly. He lays out in the sun.“
Friendly, likeable, and likely here to stay. And don’t worry, we’re not out to get the alligator. We simply went to check it out after a viewer sent us some pictures.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says it went out about a year ago…they go check on gators longer than four feet, if contacted by the property owner. And the pond people said, “We think we’ll keep him.“
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Reader Reactions
I don’t understand why people keep posting about “leave the gator alone”. Have you not listened to the story. No one want to mess with the gator. the only people not leaving the gator alone is the people who keep posting it. The story is about how awesome this creature is and if your in the area just remember the gator is there.
The alligator is one of God’s creatures, too! Live and let live. Feed him in the pond so he doesn’t have to seek food elsewehere. I lived in Hilton Head for 6 years, and sick people would bring baby alligators from Florida and place them in the man-made (for show) lagoons Every condo/apt. complex had them for the “view.“ Little kids would try to fish in the lagoons and people would walk their dogs around them, and there were several “incidents.“ It wasn’t the gator’s fault. He was just hungry, and there was nothing to eat in the pond. Keep the pond stocked with fish, frogs and nature will take it’s course, hopefully, without human invasion. KISS A GATOR!
M.A.G.
Please please leave the alligator alone. He is not bothering anybody. He is definitely wanted in this area.
Thank you so much for doing the coverage this way, making sure that everyone knows he is wanted in the area and that he is not to be harmed. I hope people listen and he doesn’t become a sideshow over there.
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