Alligator sightings have been increasing as we near its mating season. In Louisiana, a driver was surprised after seeing a massive gator crossing the street.
Giant Alligator Surprises a Louisiana Driver
Nycholas Kennerson shared a video of his close encounter with a massive alligator on Facebook. He was going home at 4: 45 a.m. from Golden Nugget Casino in New Orleans, Louisiana, when he came across a massive alligator crossing the street.
The gator was walking calmly while Kennerson was screaming inside his car at the sight of the beast. He was apparently in disbelief.
Kennerson filmed the beast while crossing the street before it climbed upon the embankment and disappeared into the darkness. The post received thousands of responses. Many left various running gifs suggesting that he should run away.
Another netizen seemingly had a close encounter with the same gator. According to Yolanda Yvette, the gator has been on the property for several years and goes between L'Auberge and Golden Nugget. Yvette said that the alligator had gotten even bigger. Several also likened the giant gator to a dinosaur.
Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries authorizes hunting nuisance alligators across the state to minimize conflict between gators and humans. Each year, hunters capture and remove 1,000 nuisance alligators, Fox News reported.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), an alligator is considered a nuisance when it's at least 4 feet long and poses a threat to people, pets, or property.
Alligator Hunting in Louisiana
Alligators can be found in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas. In some cases, alligators become uninvited guests to residential areas.
In a previous report from Science Times, an 8-foot alligator was spotted swimming in a pool in Florida. There are rescue teams and trappers that can help you safely remove the reptile.
Alligator hunting is also allowed. However, while it is legal, it is not free for all. There's a specific alligator hunting season.
In Louisiana, it is divided into east and west alligator hunting zones. The East zone opens the last Wednesday of August; the west zone opens the first Wednesday in September. Following the launch date, each zone is open for 60 days. Baited hooks and lines may be set no later than 24 hours before the open season. They must be taken down by sunset on the final day of the open season, according to the Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries.
There are also specific hunting hours and harvest methods. Alligator hunting is only allowed between official sunrise and sunset. Nighttime harvest is now allowed. Additionally, alligator hunters can only use hook and line, bow and arrow, and firearms (except shotguns) to harvest. The hook-and-line method is the most common and only method allowed in public areas.
There's also a daily and season quota for the number of alligators allowed for harvest, equal to the number of alligator harvest tags a licensed gator hunter possesses. There are no size restrictions on wild alligators during the open season.
RELATED ARTICLE: Homeowner Shot a 7-Foot Alligator 4 Times in the Head While the Beast Was Biting His Dog; FWC Will Not File Charges for the Killing
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