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LWF trying to catch elusive 'gator some residents say is too close to home

7 years 11 months 4 weeks ago Tuesday, March 29 2016 Mar 29, 2016 March 29, 2016 11:21 PM March 29, 2016 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Residents living in the Springlake Bluebonnet Highlands area have spotted an alligator lurking in Lake Longwood.

Wildlife & Fisheries has been called but have not caught the reptile. The alligator has been spotted for the last couple of weeks, since a big rain event. The Bluebonnet Highlands Homeowners Association says emails have been sent out to let people know and to keep an eye on small animals and children.

Many people have seen the alligator, including Lee Bullard.

"On the sunny days, he blows up his back, gets in the middle of the pond and tries to get as much sun on him as possible," he said.

Others who have spotted the gator, estimated to be about five or six feet long, say they aren't worried. Mike McMullen saw him swim by the other day and Tuesday was out fishing in a canoe.

"He probably lived here, his grandfather, great-grandfather, before all these houses were built and we built on top of him,"  McMullen says. He thinks the gator is coming and going through a waterway.

Not everyone has heard about the large reptile swimming behind their homes. Casey Chandler says he canoes in Lake Longwood and his two dogs often take a swim in the lake.

"I'm glad that we're not in there right now," he said.

The HOA says this is the third alligator spotted in the neighborhood in the last year. One over the summer was trapped, but not before it gobbled up a duck. Another alligator found its way out. So far, there haven't been any problems this time around.

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