Dave Henry, a resident of Barefoot Resort in North Myrtle Beach , invited a couple of friends to fish with him in a neighborhood pond. Barefoot Resort has a large number of ponds scattered throughout the community, many filled with a number of fish. The fishermen chose a pond on Marsh Glenn Road, located near a golf course.
The friends threw their lines in the water and sat back, waiting for a bite. Suddeniy, Dave felt a tug on his line. He reeled the line in a little and saw something coming up from the water. Thinking he had snagged a tree branch or old log, he tried to shake his line free. The log began to move towards him and he realized, “This is no log.” As the five foot alligator made its presence known, Dave and his companions fled in a hurry. Dave said,” I have seen alligators on golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area, but never saw one that close.” A few days later, Dave spied some kids fishing in the same North Myrtle Beach pond and warned them about the alligator.
Alligators in North Myrtle Beach are not uncommon, but are usually viewed from a safe distance. They live mostly in rivers, swamps, lake and marshes.Although they feed mostly on turtles, snakes and fish, a desperate alligator will attack humans.
Anyone visiting the Myrtle Beach area can safely watch alligators at the popular Alligator Adventure attraction located next to Barefoot Landing. Alligator Adventure is the home for many alligators and other animals. Guests can watch the alligators being fed and residing in their natural habitat. Snakes, zebras, and even bats are on display at the Alligator Adventure park. One price is good for two days!
For interested parties, alligator hunting season begins on September 10th in South Carolina. The alligators must be dragged to shore or be alongside of a boat, before dispatching them. The hunters can use bangsticks and handguns but no rifles. Participatres are only allowed one alligator and the gator must be at least four feet in length.
So , the American Alligator is now thriving in the South Carolina area and other swamps and wetlands in southeastern United States, but is best seen at a distance. If, like Dave, you accidently come across an alligator, I advice you to “RUN.”
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/american-alligator
http://www.dnr.scgov/wildlife/alligator/drawhunt.html