By admin 
A baby alligator was recently found in South Carolina, which is a good reminder of some rules to follow and things to avoid when living with alligators.
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On Tuesday night, the Prosperity Police Department said a baby alligator was rescued from a roadside ditch in Newberry County. That is north of the normal areas where alligators range in the Palmetto State, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Alligators are generally , according to DNR.
“Human/alligator interactions may increase as coastal development continues. Alligators often inhabit golf course ponds as their native wetlands are altered or destroyed,” DNR officials said on their website. “… Human encounters often result in negative consequences for the alligator. Alligators, particularly large specimens (which can reach 16-feet in length) that live in close proximity to human populations, may pose a threat to human safety.”
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For anyone who lives in those parts of the state, especially near large river swamps, lakes, ponds, coastal impoundments, abandoned rice fields and other bodies of water DNR offers a list of precautions to be heeded.
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The DON’Ts of living with alligators
- Don’t kill, harass, touch or attempt to move alligators — it’s illegal to do so, and the potential for being bitten or injured by a provoked alligator is high
- Don’t allow small children or pets to play by themselves in or around water
- Don’t swim at night or during dusk or dawn when alligators most actively feed, instead only swim during daylight hours in designated swimming areas
- Don’t feed alligators, it is illegal. Alligators overcome their natural shyness and become accustomed or attracted to humans when fed. Feeding alligators creates safety problems for those who want to use the water for recreational purposes
- Don’t throw fish scraps into the water or feed other wildlife in areas where alligators live. Although you are not intentionally feeding alligators, the end result can be the same, so dispose of fish scraps in garbage cans at boat ramps or fish camps
- Don’t be shy, call your HOA or local SCDNR office if you encounter a nuisance alligator that has lost its fear of people
- Don’t remove any alligators from their natural habitat or accept one as a pet, it’s a violation of state law to do so. Alligators do not become tame in captivity and handling even small ones may result in bites
- Don’t go near hatchling/young alligators or pick them up. They may seem cute and harmless, but the mother alligator will be nearby, and will protect her clutch for at least two years
- Don’t forget that alligators are an important part of South Carolina’s natural history, as well as an integral component of many wetland ecosystems
SOURCE: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources