Travelers found a prehistoric find on U.S. Highway 231 in Wetumpka Wednesday night — an alligator. Drivers struck a 10-foot long alligator in the roadway near Jasmine Forest Drive.
“He was a pretty good one,” Wetumpka deputy police chief Ed Reeves said. “Apparently more than one car hit it.”
Kenny Thompson was traveling on U.S. Highway 231 Wednesday night when traffic stopped after striking the alligator.
“It stretched from the white line of the road to the edge,” Thompson said. “It was big.”
The Wetumpka Police Department called the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to collect the carcass of the alligator.
Thompson fishes the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers. He has seen alligators below Gold Star Park on the Coosa. He wonders if the Wednesday alligator was one he has encountered in the past near the River Oaks subdivision.
“There were big bubbles coming up from below,” Thompson said. “They were as big around as my hands put together.”
Thompson didn’t get a look at what was causing the bubbles but has seen smaller alligators create bubbles just not as large.
“I can only imagine how big he was,” Thompson said. “It would be troublesome if he started coming after my small boat.”
Reeves said alligators are not a major issue in Wetumpka but not uncommon.
“They are in the swamps along Ft. Toulouse Road,” Reeves said. “They are along the river. In my six years, I think we have had one call that someone saw one at Gold Star Park. They decided to call the police.”
According to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website, male alligators can grow to 19 feet in length and weigh up to 900 pounds. Females tend to be somewhat smaller on average. Its habitat is primarily freshwater swamps, marshes, rivers, lakes and streams. They prefer water sources that do not go dry in the summer months and that provide an abundance of food.
Alligators are carnivorous, feeding mostly on fish, birds, snakes, turtles and small mammals. They feed mostly at night. Their large teeth assist with catching their prey. Alligators are unable to chew their food so they must swallow it whole or in large chunks. They usually lie and wait for a meal to come by, then capture and drown it.
State law prohibits killing, harassing or possessing alligators.
Feeding an alligator is dangerous and illegal. When fed, alligators can overcome their natural wariness and learn to associate people with food. When this occurs these alligators typically must be euthanized due to future safety concerns.
