06/02/2026
Story time. There is a small alligator that lives in a pond in the middle of a neighborhood in Milton 🐊 It is a very wooded neighborhood in an area that is not very developed or populated. Yet. This alligator is beloved by nearly all of the residents that live there, and they look forward to seeing him every day. They’ve lovingly named him Scooter (pictured below). Scooter spends his days basking in the sun on the banks of the pond, and is a bother to no one. He doesn't wander the neighborhood. He doesn’t snap at anybody. And he doesn’t even bother the kids that wade in the pond on occasion to fish (no I do not condone this behavior, I am just reporting the facts).
A few weeks ago, a neighborhood resident noticed that there was a man in a truck attempting to catch Scooter. After recently learning that FWC rarely relocates alligators, and euthanizes them more often than not, this responsible citizen immediately called FWC. And FWC transferred them to SNAP (Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program). After giving the SNAP representative their street name and location of the pond, the resident was informed that there was no legal permit issued for Scooter’s removal and/or euthanasia.
🚨 This means that the man in the truck going after Scooter was doing so ILLEGALLY. If you see something, say something.
The representative also mentioned to the citizen that there have been a few calls about Scooter from people concerned about his presence (though no permit has been issued).
I know at least one of the calls came from someone that moved to the neighborhood a few years ago and is absolutely terrified of all of our native wildlife. I have dealt with this person on several occasions for the snakes that pass through their yard. Keep in mind, they built a huge house next to wetlands in Florida. Not sure what they expected?
And I know a second call came in from someone who loves Scooter, and was only calling because they were concerned about the children swimming in the pond. They were under the impression that FWC would relocate them.
So I am writing this post for two reasons:
1) To inform everyone that FWC almost never relocates animals. So if you call them about a "nuisance alligator” or “nuisance bear”, please be sure it really is a nuisance. SEEING A NATIVE ANIMAL IN ITS NATURAL HABITAT DOES NOT QUALIFY IT AS A NUISANCE. If you call and report a native animal in its natural habitat that is doing nothing but existing in what little of this ever dwindling ecosystem they have left, YOU are the nuisance. You do not need to call and report to anyone every time you see an alligator in a pond or a bear in a tree. No one is passing out gold stars.
2) There are poachers currently actively operating in the Milton area. And if they’re here, I’m sure they’re in the surrounding areas as well. If you see someone trying to trap an alligator, stand up and speak out. They can’t speak for themselves. I received a message a few weeks ago about an alligator that was trapped and taken away in a different pond in Milton. Though several neighbors AND THE LANDOWNER all protested, the trapper showed his permit and took the alligator away. Everyone involved feels like they have no recourse, because once it’s gone, it’s gone.
There is a divine interconnectedness of all things. Nature is impeccable in its design, and when left alone, functions perfectly. When we meddle, which seems to be our forte, things get messed up. Let's take a simple situation like an alligator in a pond for example:
In the retention pond, there are small crabs and mollusks that filter the water. The crabs and mollusks are fed on by birds and small mammals. The birds and small mammals are fed on by the alligator. When the alligator is removed from the equation, it allows the population of birds and small mammals surrounding the pond to grow unchecked. And when this population of birds and small mammals grows unchecked, they decimate the population of water-filtering crabs and mollusks, which are essential to keeping a stagnant pond healthy. When the water filtering creatures are removed, it can allow for a blue-green algae bloom. When the algae bloom dies, it can create highly toxic botulism. And at this point, it would only take one good, heavy rain for the botulism to spill over into surrounding bayous and tributaries to poison every fish, bird, and mammal that comes into contact with it, leading to a huge environmental disaster.
One that could have been avoided by putting down that phone, and not calling FWC every time you see an alligator in its native environment. Now, you might not care about the life of one single alligator, and that's fine. But when the water you fish in, the water your kids swim in, the water your horses drink from, and water your house sits along, becomes toxic and full of decomposing animals, you'll probably start to care.
So you don't have to care about the alligator in order to advocate for his existence. Because EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED. The presence of an alligator in a small pond is a sign of a healthy ecosystem. Let's keep it that way!
Moving forward, when you see a native wild animal here in the Florida Panhandle, the best course of action is to do nothing, other than to watch it from a safe distance and praise the Lord that you were able to witness such a beautiful, magnificent creature in its natural environment 💚
We have several rules here in Florida that kind of go without saying:
👉 Secure your trash cans at night
👉 Watch where you step
👉 Don't leave your shoes on the front porch at night
👉 Don't let your children or dogs walk along the edge of a pond
Florida is one of the last wild places in America, but people are slowly trickling in here from all over the country and taking it away, bit by bit. Acre by acre, alligator by alligator 💔 I don't blame anyone at all for being concerned (with children and pets, it would be irresponsible NOT to be concerned), but as long as you avoid the edge of ponds you have nothing to worry about.
It's very frustrating in my line of work to see so many beautiful native animals being displaced and destroyed. This overdevelopment is the second biggest heartbreak I’ve ever experienced. Like it's not enough that people move here, cut down dozens/hundreds of trees, fill in the wetlands (creating an instant water mitigation issue), and then build a house. But after that, for the rest of their life, they will report every alligator, every bear, and every snake that passes through their yard, which just adds insut to injury.
Let’s all try to do better, together 🙏
I am happy to report, that as of today at least, Scooter is still safe 🙌 And I hope it stays that way for the rest of his natural life. Very special thank you to the person that reached out to me to share his story and these photographs ❤️
***Gentle reminder, when you photograph wildlife like alligators and bears to share with your friends online (as I often do), please do not include the location for the animals’ safety. The alligator that was killed on Avalon…..two people photographed her and published the photos with her exact location online in the weeks leading up to her capture and euthanasia.
