Massive Gator Taken From Lake Livingston

According to a report on the Click2Houston website, another huge alligator has been killed in east Texas. The story, written by Hasti Taghi, details the story of a monstrous alligator that was caught and killed in Lake Livingston near the Westwood Shores community. You can access the story here.

It seems the gator was spotted multiple times by frightened members of the community. The residents are certainly no strangers to alligators but the sheer size of this reptile gave them cause for concern. That being the case, they notified the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

The TPWD contracted a trapper named David Hunter to capture and remove the alligator. Hunter was successful and managed to capture the reptile. According to Hunter, the big gator had just attacked a deer. The bull gator measured 14-feet in length and weighed in at over 1,200 pounds. The alligator was euthanized shortly after being captured. Hunter said that he had little choice in the matter as attempting to relocate a gator this size would be just too dangerous.

TPWD officials said that the drop in water levels on Lake Livingston were likely behind this big gator showing up in the residential area. According to the officials, and Westwood Shores residents, alligators are being seen far more often this summer than is typical. Texas, of course, is suffering through the worst drought in the last 75 years.

It is unfortunate that the big alligator had to be killed. I will not play armchair quarterback and second-guess trapper David Hunter on his decision to put the gator down. No doubt, it would have been a dangerous undertaking to relocate an animal this size. While the article points out that the alligator had not harassed residents or their pets, the situation was untenable. The fact that the alligator was in this area in the first place was probably because it was having trouble finding food in its usual haunts. A hungry alligator of this size making itself at home in a residential area where there are, no doubt, young children is just not acceptable.

Unfortunate? Yes. Necessary? I’m afraid so.

Monster Trinity River Gator Allegedly Killed Illegally

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has filed charges against four men they say illegally hunted and killed a giant alligator on the Trinity River in Leon County.

Dallas lawyer Levi McCathern and three guides, Steve Barclay, Sam Lovell, and Ryan Burton, collectively known as the “Gar Guys,” face charges of taking wildlife on private property without the landowner’s permission. The monster gator killed by McCathern has been confiscated along with a gator killed just a day before.

The charges are Class A misdemeanors which could mean a fine of up to $4,000 and one year in jail for those involved. According to sources, TPWD will also be seeking civil restitution for the two slain alligators. That claim could exceed $5,000.


This story saddens me. I have no problem with the hunting of alligators as long as it is done according to the rules set forth by the TPWD. If this was, indeed, an illegal hunt then these guys should face the music. It would also back up the comment below made by a reader who had viewed the original post:

"Wonder why both gators were killed by different hunters but same guides and both were questioned kills. I fish the area the killed it and the " Gar Guys " are not liked at all and more so after this killing.They work that "grey" area of the law --maybe TPWD will close the loop hole since TPWD lost both claims against them."

I will say the rules of just when and how it is legal to take alligators in this state are a bit confusing. I outlined these rules in the previous post on this story. Personally, I think some of these guidelines need to be simplified to avoid potential confusion. Don’t get me wrong, guides are professionals and it is their job to know and understand the legalities regarding the hunting of whatever species they are targeting. If these guides did not know or, worse yet, ignored, the laws regarding the hunting of alligators in Texas then they deserve whatever they get.

I would caution against automatically assuming the worst of these folks; however, let them have their day in court. Remember the Duke lacrosse team scandal? A stripper claimed to have been sexually assaulted by multiple members of the team at a party. These guys were crucified in the media and all but convicted in the press. It turned out that the accuser was mentally unstable and made the whole thing up. The whole debacle ended up costing the District Attorney his job. While the circumstances of the two cases are vastly different, let's not make the mistake of assuming guilt too soon. Maybe I’m being naïve but let’s let the legal system run its course and find out all the facts before we lock these guys up and throw away the key.

A Tale of Two "Alligators"

It has been a busy month or so for all things “alligator” in the Lone Star State. Late last month, word came of a monstrous gator killed on the Trinity River in Leon County. Now we have a story involving a slightly out of place alligator captured in Waco.



According to Waco’s CBS affiliate KWTX, an alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) measuring between three and four feet long was captured in a residential area not too far from Lake Waco. The alligator was caught near the intersection of Edna Ave. and MacArthur Dr. This intersection is just northeast of Lake Waco near a small inlet called Lake Robinhood by local residents.

The alligator died soon after being captured. A necropsy, performed by officials from the Cameron Park Zoo, revealed severe dehydration and/or parasites as the likely cause of death. Wildlife officials stated that they believed the alligator was likely indigenous to Lake Waco and not an escaped pet (can you believe it?). They based this opinion on the stomach contents of the animal, which consisted mainly of insects. The wildlife officials did say it is possible someone caught the alligator with the intention of keeping it as a pet. They theorized that, if true, this person soon came to the realization that this alligator was just too big and aggressive to be safely kept and released it. A short video on this story can be viewed at the KWTX website.



In other “alligator” news, Cleveland, Texas angler Joseph Williams has set a new catch-and-release record for alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula). Williams, who says he fishes about 30 weekends a year below the Lake Livingston Dam on the Trinity River, hooked and landed a 7’ 4” long bruiser on July 4th that he will submit for recognition as the new state catch-and-release record. If approved, the Williams gar will surpass an 6’ 8” long gar caught by Leo Flores in Choke Canyon Reservoir back in March of 2011.



Williams is a gar fanatic that has done battle with these river monsters before. Back in April he pulled a 200 lb. gar from the Trinity that did not survive the battle. That fish, according to an article on the Texas Parks & Wildlife site, is the new rod and reel record for the Trinity River.

To qualify for a catch-and-release record, a fish must be landed, photographed, measured, and released alive. Apparently, and it makes sense, I suppose, as few would carry a scale capable of measuring a monster gar in the 200 lb. range, weight does not figure into catch-and release records for this species. It seems the record is based solely on length.

So, if you're looking for anything "alligator" related, Texas seems to be the place to be at this point in time.

Monstrous Alligator Killed in Leon County, Texas

Who says dinosaurs are extinct?

No, I’m not talking about the legendary Mokele-mbembe of the Congo or the mythical Nessie of Scotland’s Loch Ness. I’m talking about a monster reptile that haunted a stretch of the Trinity River right here in Texas.

The beast in question is an alligator (Alligator mississipiensis) that was recently shot and killed in a stretch of the Trinity that flows through Leon County by Dallas attorney Levi McCathern. Inspired by the television show Swamp People, McCathern decided to go after a big gator.

“Something I wanted to do was hunt something that could hunt me and alligators seemed like a challenge,” said McCathern.



After searching the internet for likely hunting spots, McCathern chose to hunt an area of the Trinity River just two hours outside of Dallas. He hired a couple of guides and was off in an effort to bag his trophy. You can read the details of the hunt itself and see a news piece on the alligator put together by the DFW area NBC affiliate here.

The alligator was truly a monster and must have been the undisputed king of that stretch of the river in Leon County. The giant reptile weighed in at 900 lbs. and measured 14 ft. in length. To give you a bit of perspective, the rim of a regulation basketball goal is 10 ft. off the floor. This was one enormous gator. In fact, it may prove to be a state record.

There is a bit of confusion as to the legality of the hunt. The video report by DFW NBC and the online article didn’t help matters by stating the following:

“It is against the law to hunt alligators along the Trinity River but McCathern had special permission from a private property owner to go on the hunt after many of the rancher’s cattle were gobbled up by the behemoth reptile.”

Maybe I can help clear things up a bit…or maybe not. Here goes nothing. As I understand it, there is no spring season on alligators in the core alligator counties, which are Angelina, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Refugio, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler and Victoria Counties. Licensed hunters in non-core counties, however, are allowed one alligator per season, provided it is taken on private property with landowner permission using a line set, alligator gig, hand-held snare with an integral locking mechanism, lawful archery gear, or firearms. In addition, it is legal to take alligators from public water, provided the hunter is on private property when he or she does it. It is unlawful to discharge a firearm from, in, or across public water. Alligators taken from public water may be dispatched with a centerfire weapon, provided the alligator is on private land when you pull the trigger.

If you are thinking all of that is about as clear as the muddy Trinity River itself, you are not alone. I’m right there with you. I guess the point is that this hunt was legitimate and Mr. McCathern did nothing illegal in taking this alligator.


Many realize that the Trinity River is loaded with alligators. Many don’t realize that the stretch flowing through Leon County seems to be a haven for giants. The area is rich in wildlife. Beaver, nutria, otter, ducks, hogs, deer, turtles, frogs, and fish are abundant. All are potentially on the menu for an alligator and contribute to the staggering sizes being attained by these reptiles in the region.

Occasionally, despite this bounty of wild game, big gators are tempted by domestic livestock. Back in May of 2007, a huge alligator, dubbed “Big George” by the locals, was suspected by ranchers as the likely culprit behind the disappearance of several yearling calves that year. The ranchers decided “Big George” had to go. So, permission was given for local guides to bring clients in on their private land in the hopes that the huge gator could be taken. A Lufkin resident named Danny Vines shot and killed “Big George” in May of 2007. The alligator was truly a colossus. It weighed a staggering 735 lbs. and was 13’ 1 ¼” long. At the time, “Big George” was the sixth largest alligator ever taken by rifle in North America according to Safari Club International. The saga of how “Big George” met his demise can be read on the website of the Corsicana Daily Sun here.


The McCathern alligator would seem to have been a worthy successor to “Big George” as king of the Trinity River. No doubt, another bull gator, possibly the offspring of one of these two bruisers, will move in and fill the void left by the death of the latest giant.

How big will he get?

The Lake Nasworthy "Monster"

Ok, I admit that title is a bit sensational but early last month a news report out of San Angelo caught my eye. The report, written by Michael Price and published in the San Angelo Standard-Times details an incident involving the "Lake Nasworthy Monster." This "monster" has been described as a large reptile roughly six feet long cruising the depths, and occasionally the shallows, of Lake Nasworthy.

Lake Nasworthy is a small municipal lake located in San Angelo. The lake is named for John R. Nasworthy who sold the land the lake is located on to the city. The lake was built back in 1930 by the Texas Utilities Company to provide water for the city of San Angelo. The lake is small encompassing only 1,380 acres and is a mere 29 feet deep at its deepest point. It hardly seems a likely location for a monster. Even so, reports of a large animal in the lake have persisted for at least a decade.



Mr. Price, who is the Executive Director of the San Angelo Nature Center, stated in his piece, "Before my hobby of herpetoculture brought me to the Nature Center this decade, I had heard rumors of an enormous (always at least 6 feet long) reptile that would patrol the depths of Lake Nasworthy." He added, "This tall tale has been brought to my attention at the Nature Center a few times but never as seriously or as dangerously as this past week."



It seems two San Angelo police officers visited the Nature Center, which sits on the eastern shore of Lake Nasworthy, to see if all of their alligators were present and accounted for. A concerned citizen had reported that he had shot at a large creature in the lake and was worried about the safety of the people of San Angelo.

Mr. Price pretty much dismisses the possibility of an alligator, be it an out of place wild one or an escaped pet, outright. Instead, he theorizes the person who reported the sighting actually had seen a large flathead, or yellow, catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) or a longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus). Both species can reach lengths of 4-5 feet and are present in Lake Nasworthy. Mr. Price also suggests the possibility the report is an outright hoax.



Who knows what, if anything, was actually seen in Lake Nasworthy on this particular occasion? The fact is, however, that reports of something big in the lake have persisted for a decade or so. This leads me to believe that something big does, or did, live in the lake. I'm not suggesting there is a "monster" in the lake by any means; however, I do think dismissing an alligator as a possibility might not be wise. It is true that San Angelo is outside recognized alligator habitat. So is Cross Plains, Texas but an alligator was killed there back in August of 2009. You can read that account here. The Cross Plains alligator had made a home in a stock tank on the property of one Dick Vestal. Vestal speculated that his reptilian squatter had been a pet that grew too large and dangerous for it's owner and had been released somewhere near his property. Whether the Cross Plains gator was wild or a released pet is irrelevant. The point is, wild or not, an alligator was making a home for itself in a stock tank in West Texas. Is a similar scenario impossible in San Angelo? I don't think so.



I'm not suggesting the citizens of San Angelo should be afraid to enter the waters of Lake Nasworthy. I do think simply dismissing the possibility of the "Lake Nasworthy Monster" being an out of place alligator could be a mistake. You just never know. Many stranger things have happened.



What swims in the waters of Lake Nasworthy? Probably nothing unusual or exotic; however, if you live in the area and frequent the lake it might not be a bad idea to keep a camera handy. After all, you just never know.

Another Alligator Tale

How about one more alligator story? This one comes from San Antonio, Texas, which, according to the graph below, is on the extreme western edge of what the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department recognizes as gator habitat.



According to an article on the Wildlife News and Habitat Management website, a 9-foot long alligator was shot and killed by game wardens back in July of 2007. The gator had seemingly lost it's fear of humans and was approaching homes. As you can see by the picture below, it would be hard to argue with the assessment made by the game wardens that this was a nuisance animal.The original article can be accessed here.



Texas Parks & Wildlife game warden Danny Shaw is quoted as saying, "We did not want it to have contact with human beings." This is essentially what led to the decision to put the animal down as opposed to relocating it. According to Shaw, Choke Canyon Reservoir is the usual destination for alligators that need to be relocated from the San Antonio area (this is something I did not know). Game warden Shaw said that relocation was not an option in this case as Choke Canyon is a public reservoir and not an acceptable alternative home for alligators that have lost their fear of people.

The article also mentions an alligator that stopped traffic in the same area in April of 2007. That gator escaped into a drainage area when chased off the road by police. It is possible this was the same animal but that can't be known for sure.



While the last two posts about alligators involve incidents that took place back in 2007, they do provide the documentation I was looking for as to sightings of these big reptiles as far west as the I-35 corridor. Maybe the alligator sightings in Bell County over the last several years are just of animals in their native habitats and not of displaced or out of place creatures after all.

It does seem that alligator sightings up and down the I-35 corridor from the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex , through Central Texas, and into the San Antonio area are becoming more common.

It will be interesting to see if the trend continues.

Alligators in Bell County

I have been hearing tales of alligators haunting Central Texas reservoirs, creeks, and rivers since I arrived in the area, way back in 1987. In particular, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir and Lake Belton were said to be habitats for these big reptiles. I never really believed these stories were true. I grew up in Southeast Texas where gators are plentiful and just didn't feel like the habitat was suitable for alligators in my new home territory. I have fished Belton and Stillhouse now extensively for over a decade and have never seen any sign of alligators in either body of water. I have also fished the Lampasas, Leon, and Little Rivers, Nolan and Salado Creeks, and numerous privately owned stock tanks and lakes without ever seeing anything that would lead me to believe that alligators were present in the area. That all changed last April when a gentleman named Eric Dominowski spotted, and photographed, a big gator on the banks of the Lampasas River. You can read about that sighting here. This incident inspired me to dig a little deeper and see if I could find any other source that documented gators in the Central Texas region. It took a while but I did find something.



An article on the Wildlife News and Habitat Management site documents an incident where an 8-foot long alligator was killed by law enforcement officers back in June of 2007. The article can be accessed here but I will attempt to summarize it for you below.

An approximately 8-foot long alligator was spotted lying near the intersection of FM 436 and FM 1123, roughly a mile from the Lampasas River, about 2:20am by a traveler who called it in to the Bell County Sheriff's Department. The big gator weighed in at about 200 lbs. and wasn't too thrilled to see local law enforcement personnel upon their arrival. Sheriff's Deputies contacted Texas Parks & Wildlife personnel and were advised to capture the gator, if possible, but to shoot it if it became aggressive. As you can probably imagine, Bell County Deputy Sheriff's don't exactly get a lot of experience in wrangling alligators and failed in their attempts to subdue the big reptile. They did succeed in making it angry; however, and felt it was best to shoot the gator in the interest of public safety."It was a safety issue," Bell County Sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lewing said.



Since the gator was found on a state maintained highway, the Texas Department of Transportation was called to dispatch maintenance workers to the scene to remove the animal. The article quotes Ken Roberts, TxDOT spokesman, as saying, "We picked it up, hauled it away, and buried it." He added, "We pick up deer, cows, horses, and dogs...that's what we do." Roberts did admit picking up a road-killed alligator was pretty unusual. "It's probably the strangest thing we've picked up in a long time," he said. Interestingly, the maintenance workers who were actually dispatched to the scene weren't surprised at all. "They said there's gators in the streams and rivers," said Roberts.

According to the article, Derrick Wolter, a Texas Parks & Wildlife biologist agrees with the assessment of the TxDOT maintenance workers. He said that there have long been reports of alligators swimming in the waters of Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir and Lake Belton. "I don't know if they are illegal pets that someone let loose or if they are naturally occurring," he said. Wolter guessed the gator was a male looking for a mate due to the time of year. Alligator breeding season usually occurs in May but can certainly extend into June. Since the gator was disposed of before it's gender could be determined this remains conjecture.



As you can see from the graphic above, the Central Texas area, which includes Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir and Lake Belton, is on the extreme Western edge of recognized alligator habitat. This being the case, maybe we should not be surprised that these big predators are present in the area. While their numbers are, no doubt, much lower in Central Texas than points farther East, the photos snapped by Eric Dominowksi prove they are present in the area.

I would ask any readers who have had an encounter with an alligator anywhere West of I-45 to let me know. I would like to hear your story. Oh, and, as always, keep those cameras handy at all times.

Gators Gone Wild

Below is some fascinating video of hundreds of alligators engaging in what has been described as a feeding frenzy.

The amazing video was shot by fisherman Ray Cason at Stephen C. Foster State Park in Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The gators were congregated in a boat basin, or canal, which leads from a boat ramp to Billy's Lake.

Cason witnessed the gator gathering on two consecutive mornings. Each time the "frenzy" lasted 30-40 minutes.



"There were 10-foot gators with their entire bodies three feet above the water. Gators rolling all over themselves. It was foggy that first morning (Saturday, July 10) but I bet there were 300 gators I saw in that boat basin and canal," said Cason.

Wildlife biologists seem to be split on whether true cooperative feeding was taking place. Cooperative feeding implies that the alligators were working together in some fashion to round up and capture prey. This behavior is seen with other animals like wolves, lions, and even whales. Other experts believe that there was simply a lot of prey, mainly bowfin, gathered in the boat basin each of those two mornings. A congregation of prey that thick was bound to attract a lot of attention from the dominant predator in that ecosystem.

Whatever the case, there were a whole lot of alligators going at it in a very tight space. I grew up in SE Texas where there is a very healthy alligator population but I have never seen anything like this. I do know that trying to navigate that writhing reptilian mass in a small aluminum jon boat would be pretty nerve wracking. It is not something I would recommend.



The Okefenokee is very similar to some of the marshy/swampy areas of SE Texas and Louisiana. I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who has observed this sort of behavior in our neck of the woods.

An Arlington Alligator

According to a couple of articles in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram earlier this month, an alligator has been spotted in a pond at Cravens Park in southeast Arlington, Texas which is located in Tarrant County. The park is located a few miles to the northwest of Joe Pool Lake.

According to the article, written by Susan Schrock, the gator was first reported by students of Bebensee Elementary who spotted the reptile while walking to school. The alligator is approximately five feet long and, as of the writing of the last article, has managed to elude capture for more than a week. Several different methods have been tried in an effort to catch the gator. City officials have tried tempting the alligator with fresh and, in some cases, not so fresh road kill. They have also torn down a beaver dam in order to lower the water level in the pond hoping it would isolate the alligator and make it easier to catch. So far, all their efforts have been to no avail.



Mike Bass, Assistand Director of Community Services in Arlington, said that the public and media, who have crowded the area hoping for a sighting, have hampered their efforts to catch the elusive reptile.

"Every time he feels imposed upon, he goes below the water," Bass said.

Bass added that once the alligator is captured it will be humanely released at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge.

Arlington is located in Tarrant County and lies almost directly between Dallas and Fort Worth. As you can see from the graphics below, this is on the extreme northwestern edge of what is considered to be the alligator's range in the state. Based on this, the alligator really shouldn't be considered "out of place", I suppose. I do know, however, and the news articles allude to this as well, that alligator sightings in and around this area, with the possible exception of the Trinity River, are pretty rare. Ordinarily I would say that the best thing to do is to let the alligator alone. If common sense is used there really should not be a problem between the alligator and humans. However, the fact that this gator has taken up residence right next to an elementary school makes the removal of the animal necessary.



If anyone has heard anything new about whether this gator has been captured please let me know.

You can view the latest Fort Worth Star-Telegram article here.

New Photos of the Lampasas River Alligator

Eric Dominowski, the fisherman who spotted an alligator in the Lampasas River above Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir last week, read my post on the incident and contacted me via email. Eric was kind enough to answer a couple of questions about the sighting and offered to send me several photos not published by the Killeen Daily Herald in their article last week.

Mr. Dominowski said he was approximately 25 feet from the gator when he started snapping pictures. He said as they moved closer the gator slipped into the water and disappeared. He did not see it surface again though he admits to not hanging around very long to look for it. Mr. Dominowski estimates the alligator was at least 6 feet long.

Judging by the photos below this is a very healthy alligator. The width of its head, neck, and back are impressive. I was also impressed with the thickness of this alligator's tail. This guy seems to be doing just fine in the Lampasas River. There is nothing in the photos to judge the size of the gator accurately but the characteristics seen in this specimen lead me to believe it is decent sized and, while possibly young, no mere juvenile. It would not surprise me a bit if it turns out Mr. Dominowski's estimate on its length turns out to be on the low side.

Enjoy the pictures below. As far as I know this is the only place online that you will be able to see them. A big thank you to Eric Dominowski for allowing me to post the pictures here.

Alligator Spotted in Lampasas River

A six foot long alligator has been spotted in the Lampasas River north of Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir. The gator was seen twice by a local fisherman named Eric Dominowski last week. Dominowski put his boat in on the main lake and headed upstream to fish for spawning white bass and/or crappie when he spotted the gator. You can read the newspaper account, written by Mason W. Canales, of the sighting on the Killeen Daily Herald's website here.

Dominowski said, "It was pretty far upriver. Both times we were up there the gator was lying out there on the bank pretty close to the water...When we got up there he got into the water and we bolted out of there because we couldn't see him."

The fisherman was spooked by the alligator's presence and added that he had heard stories about their being present in the Lampasas and Stillhouse Hollow but never believed them.

Texas Parks & Wildlife game warden, Fred Churchill said, "It is not uncommon to have alligators there. Reports range in size from anywhere between four and ten feet." Churchill would add, "They are not a problem. There are no issues with them. They are just part of the natural habitat to be in the river...They are just cohabitating with all the other wildlife in the area."

I have lived in central Texas since 1987 and have always heard tales of alligators in local rivers and creeks. Most of those stories centered around Salado Creek, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, and the Lampasas River. Interestingly, I have never heard of anyone claiming to have seen an alligator in Lake Belton which is only five miles north of Stillhouse. According to Dan Thomasson, the Army Corp of Engineer Lake Manager for both Stillhouse Hollow and Lake Belton, reports of alligators have been coming in for 10 years.



"The reports that we have gotten have all been in the river above the lake. We have never gotten reports of an alligator being in the main body of the lake," said Thomasson.

Game warden Churchill's statement about an alligator living in the Lampasas River not being anything unusual is accurate...sort of. If you look at the graphics below you will see that, while the area where this gator was seen is included as established alligator habitat, it is on the extreme western edge of where they are normally spotted. I would also submit that if the alligators are in the Lampasas River north of the main lake it is likely only a matter of time before they venture down to the reservoir itself. That is, if they haven't already done so.





I would agree with Churchill's assertion that the presence of alligators in the Lampasas River, and even in the main lake, for that matter, is not a reason for concern. Use a little common sense and there should be nothing to worry about. As is the case with most wild animals, if you are aware they are around and take appropriate precautions you are unlikely to have any trouble. To the contrary, I think the presence of alligators in the area is a positive sign. It points to a healthy ecosystem.

So, fishermen, keep your eyes open and have those cameras ready. If you see any alligators in the central Texas area I would love to hear about it and would also be glad to post your pictures on this site.

The Alligator of Cross Plains

I came across an interesting story about an out of place animal today. The Abilene Reporter-News reported an alligator was killed just outside the town of Cross Plains, Texas. You can access the story here. Now this may not seem remarkable on the surface as alligators are not only natural but common in the lone star state. What is remarkable is that Cross Plains is located in Callahan County not too far southeast of Abilene. This area is all but a desert.

Dick Vestal and his son Chris had been telling people they had spotted an alligator in one of their stock tanks (that would be a pond to any non-Texan readers). Predictably, nobody believed them. The elder Vestal claims to have first spotted the creature about three years ago and continued to spot the gator every two or three weeks as it moved back and forth between stock tanks.

The alligator's stay on the Vestal property came to an abrupt end this week, however, when it was shot and killed by a passerby who spotted it in a roadside ditch about a quarter of a mile from the latest tank it had called home. Dick Vestal was pleased that he and his son's stories of the gator had been proven true but a bit distressed that the animal had been killed. "We watched that rascal grow," Vestal said. " I imagine someone just had a pet that got too big for them, and they turned it loose-and it ended up out there in my stock tank."

Dick Vestal may or may not be right in his theory of how the gator came to live in his stock tank. The gator was at least a couple of hundred miles farther west than it should have been. It just goes to show that sometimes reports of animals in places they aren't supposed to be turn out to be true.

Are tales of cougars in central Texas, jaguars in south Texas, or black bears in east Texas any more unlikely than an alligator in arid Cross Plains? What about the "ghost grizzlies" of the South San Juan Wilderness in Colorado or the wolverines of Washington State? Unlikely? Definitely. Impossible? Certainly not. I read just yesterday of a Florida panther that was shot and killed in Alabama. These cats are not supposed to exist outside of the south-central portion of the state. So, the next time you hear about an animal roaming about in an area where it isn't supposed to exist, think back on the unlikely tale of the alligator of Cross Plains, Texas and keep an open mind. You just never know.