Alligator Bait

We live across from a fresh water pond located adjacent to a several hundred acres of good old Carolina Low Country swamp; the very same swamp that gave Revolutionary hero Francis 'Swamp Fox' Marion (pictured below) his cover for 'revolutionary' guerrilla war tactics and many Colonial victories over a far superior British fighting force. The battle of Parkers Ferry, which lead to the hanging of colonial sympathizer Issac Hayne, was fought just down the road from our home. (Information on Hayne can be found at http://south-carolina-plantations.com/colleton/hayne-hall.html)

With any swamp comes an array of wildlife. We regularly see osprey, bald eagles, deer, wild hogs, foxes, alligators, etc. And alligators are welcome guests as long as they do not make neighborhood pets a part of their daily diet. However, every once and a while one of the alligators gets aggressive and has to go.

This 7 ft. gator did not hesitate to approach the wrangler when he offered food. The gator had lost all fear of humans. Not good. Not good at all.

The alligator wrangler captured the gator, taped the mouth shut, taped a clothe over the eyes, tied the legs, and lifted it into the back of his pick up truck. Easy as pie.

After the alligator was calm and secured, the wrangler allowed the kids and the gathering crowd to touch and pet the gator while he answered many questions and told alligator jokes. This was not the first group of onlookers he has entertained.

A true professional can make even the most dangerous tasks look easy.