The Elusive Prien Lake Park Alligator

We go in search of alligators all the time. There are plenty of tourist places where people can go to see these amazing creatures in their natural habitat, but we certainly don't like being surprised by one.

I heard about the Prien Lake Park alligator just yesterday, and it's on everyone's mind. According to the story I heard, the critter is hanging around the boat launch, and he's a crafty one. The gator in question, according to those who have laid eyes on it, is about 8 feet long. Catching and moving the gator is priority one.

This gator in particular could be especially dangerous, since folks at Wildlife and Fisheries believe that this one is being fed. While that may seem to be a very humane thing to do, it's dangerous on many levels.

When these creatures are fed, they start losing their fear of humans and may be far less shy about approaching them. It takes less than a second for a human/gator interaction to go terribly wrong.

Robert Sonnier is a pro when it comes to catching gators, and he's been brought in on the job to capture and relocate this one to a much safer location, but, so far, the beast has avoided capture.

According to Sonnier,

"If you see him, avoid him. Give him a wide area, and don't feed him."

Sonnier actually hooked the gator yesterday, but it snapped the 260 pound test leader and made a hasty retreat from the area.

Until this gator drama is over, be extra cautious around the area of Prien Lake Park, and especially make sure to keep pets and kids away from areas where the gator may be lurking.