NORTH AUGUSTA --- They've become unofficial mascots of North Augusta's Greeneway. The alligators of Brick Pond Park, just under the 13th Street Bridge, are on postcards and paintings in the Arts and Heritage Center. Pictures of them are also regularly shared among residents and park users.
Because park use has picked up since its opening last fall, the alligators could become a risk to humans, said Tanya Strickland of the city's stormwater management team.
Mrs. Strickland said visitors are feeding turtles, ducks and other wildlife in the wetlands. As humans continue feeding them, the alligators will be drawn to not only their prey out of water, but also to the humans with food. It's also against state law to feed an alligator.
"You never want them to associate humans with food," Mrs. Strickland said.
Last month turtles came out of the water to Mrs. Strickland at the park, which signaled they were being fed.
About eight alligators are in the ponds that were restored over the past two years. They probably came from the Savannah River but have always been a part of the ecosystem in that area, Mrs. Strickland said.
"People are just now seeing something that's always been there since we've made it accessible," she said.
City councilwoman Pat Carpenter brought up the safety of children at a previous meeting, worried that as school groups used the parks for research, children would be more likely to approach wildlife.
"You just don't know what nature will do because it's nature," Mrs. Carpenter said.
As officials learned, though, if humans don't feed the animals, the wildlife won't be drawn to them.
"It's one of those things that when you live in areas of habitat you use common sense," said Jay Butfiloski, the state Department of Natural Resources alligator program coordinator.
Mr. Butfiloski said he knows of only one severe alligator attack in South Carolina, and that involved a large alligator. Only one alligator in Brick Pond Park is close to 6 feet in length, which Mr. Butfiloski considers nonthreatening. Many are babies.
If an alligator is considered a nuisance, the city can file a removal permit with DNR.
Mrs. Strickland said the city will post more signs warning visitors to not feed any animals.
"People might think they're doing these animals a favor, but if anything they're endangering their life," she said. "We want people to enjoy it, but we want them to respect the wildlife."
Reach Julia Sellers at (706) 823-3424 or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com.
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To report an aggressive animal or mistreatment of animals in North Augusta, call (803) 441-4227.
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The gators have always been there its not a problem. Just look at the gators in Hilton Head they are everywhere and they dont bother anyone.
The gators have been there for a very long time. SCDNR had a sign in one of the ponds of the golf course before it was built telling you not to feed the gator and to be aware of it. I fished that pond severel times and saw the gator. It never bothered me and I never bothered it.
Gators are not the problem. It is the people feeding every thing wild which is not at all good for them. Their Digestive system is not agreeable to such things as processed foods such as the sugars, and flours in our food. The worse thing you can do is feed ducks and such with breads and the like. Once you feed the wildlife it makes them lazy and expect the hand outs. i.e. it removes their independence for being able to feed them selves and turns them in to democrats, waiting on handouts. We all know that when you take away a persons independence to be about to do for their self and feel they can no longer do for there selves. Then you get robbing, killing, rampage as we have in society growing at an alarming rate.
How do they cope in Florida? How do they cope on the SC coast? I'm a whole lot more afraid of getting bit by a water moccasin than I am getting bit by a gator. So why aren't Tanya Strickland and Pat Carpenter concerned about the water moccasins? "City councilwoman Pat Carpenter brought up the safety of children at a previous meeting, worried that as school groups used the parks for research, children would be more likely to approach wildlife." Yeah, that would apply to the moccasins too. Does this woman have any sense? Children could get bit by a gator but not by a snake?
By the way, alligators eat snakes.
There are hundreds of signs all over the great Smoky Mountains Natl Park that say " Do Not Feed The Bears." It's in all of the literature you pick up at the welcome centers, the rangers will tell you this when you get a back country permit. But does that stop everyone? Nope. There's always some idiot who thinks he's Superman, and above the law. Then when someone is attacked when feeding a bear, as someone was, in the Park, about 3 years ago, the bear has to be put down. They pay for your stupidity. Count on it, if people start feeding the gators at Brick Pond, and someone gets hurt or killed, the gator will either be put down or relocated.