8C
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2016
PARTING SHOT FROM DANNY MILLER
A weekly snapshot from The Daily Astorian and Chinook Observer photographers
Hundreds of Buoy 10 fishermen get an early start to the day in August on the Columbia River, as seen from the Washington state side. The daily bag limit is two salmon.
ODDITY
Mind
the
gators
Jekyll Island
reminds tourists
of its alligator
abundance
By RUSS BYNUM
Associated Press
S
AVANNAH, Ga. —
Known for sea turtles nest-
ing on its beaches, wading
shorebirds in the surf and white-
tailed deer that roam its mari-
time forests, Jekyll Island has
taken extra steps to make sure
visitors realize the state park
also is home an abundance of
alligators.
The Jekyll Island Authority,
which manages the island 70
miles south of Savannah, in the
last month posted nearly 30 signs
at the edge of ponds, alongside
ditches and at entrances to its
four golf courses. The signs urge
visitors to “Be Aware Alligators
Are Common in Lakes, Ponds
and Ditches” and tell them “Do
Not Feed Wildlife,” each printed
with a gator graphic.
It’s no coincidence the new
signage went up not long after
an alligator killed a toddler this
summer in a lake at Walt Dis-
ney World, said Ben Carswell,
the island’s conservation man-
ager. But he said Jekyll Island
staff had already been working
on notices to discourage tourists
from tossing food to alligators,
particularly at a pond next to a
picnic area.
“We took a hard look at what
sort of information we were
getting out to people about the
presence of alligators on Jekyll
Ben Carswell/Jekyll Island Authority via AP
A sign warns golfers to ‘Be Aware’ of alligators on Jekyll Island, Georgia. The state park recently placed roughly 30 signs at golf course entrances,
ponds and ditches after a toddler was killed by an alligator to make sure visitors know the island is home to an many of the creatures.
‘We don’t want people to be scared about nature and
wildlife on Jekyll. But we want them to be aware of it
and what these animals and their behaviors are.’
Ben Carswell
Jekyll Island’s conservation manager
Island,” said Carswell. “We
don’t want people to be scared
about nature and wildlife on
Jekyll. But we want them to be
aware of it and what these ani-
mals and their behaviors are.”
Gatorology 101
Once a remote getaway for
wealthy industrialists, Jekyll
Island became a state park after
the state of Georgia purchased it
in 1947. State law requires that
two-thirds of the island remain
undeveloped, ensuring people
share the park with a wide range
of wildlife.
Researchers conducting pop-
ulation surveys have counted
anywhere from 67 to 124 alli-
gators on Jekyll Island, which
covers roughly 9 square miles
of uplands and marsh. Tourists
often don’t have to look hard to
see them. Online videos posted
by visitors show gators loung-
ing in water next to a bike path,
crawling into bushes outside a
public building and even stroll-
ing along the open beach toward
the surf.
And Jekyll Island has
embraced the carnivorous rep-
tiles as a means for teach-
ing people how to coexist with
wildlife. The Georgia Sea Tur-
tle Center on the island offers
classes on “Gatorology 101,”
teaching tourists not only about
alligator conservation but also
how to safely observe them.
Documented cases of alli-
gators injuring people are rare
across Georgia. The only known
incident on Jekyll Island hap-
pened 22 years ago.
Hand chomped
According to cases compiled
by the Georgia Department of
Natural Resources, a golfer try-
SEPTEMBER 3-5, 2016 | Labor Day Weekend
Gates open at 9:00 a.m. | Battles 11 a.m. & 3 p.m. Sat & Sun. - Noon Monday | Living history al l day
Admission $20 per carload plus $5 day use fee | Bike gate $5 per person
ing to fetch balls from a pond on
a Jekyll Island golf course got
his hand chomped by an alliga-
tor in August 1994. The wound
required 20 stitches.
“You’re more likely to get
hit by lighting, or get attack by
a dog or stung a bee and have
death occur from that, than be
attacked by an alligator,” said
Greg Waters, a state biologist
who specializes in alligators.
Jekyll Island’s new alliga-
tor awareness efforts come at a
time when new hotels, conven-
tion space and other amenities
are drawing many visitors to the
park for the irst time. For the
irst half of this year, the Jekyll
Island Authority says, vehi-
cle trafic increased 25 percent
compared to the same period in
2014. Hotel revenues were up
60 percent.
With all those tourists come
inevitable reports of people toss-
ing food to alligators. Carswell
said on a busy summer weekend
that probably happens at least
once or twice, particularly when
the island has picnic tables next
to a pond.
“Sometimes feeding turtles
and ish is sort of a gateway to
feeding alligators,” Carswell
said.
Besides the potential dan-
ger, there’s another reason not to
throw food to alligators: it’s ille-
gal. Feeding wild alligators is a
misdemeanor in Georgia. Viola-
tors can be ined as much as $200
and jailed for up to 30 days.
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