In recent years, South Carolina has witnessed a total of six tragic alligator attacks, all occurring within the past eight years. The most recent incident took place this past Independence Day, where a woman lost her life while walking her dog near her home on Hilton Head Island.
Among these incidents, Charleston County has been linked to two fatal attacks in South Carolina – one in 2016 and another in 2020. The 2016 occurrence is considered to be the state's first recorded fatal encounter with an alligator.
Despite the absence of alligator-related fatalities in Charleston County over the past three years, encounters continue to be common. In late May of this year, a viral video depicted a baby alligator on the Isle of Palms beach, garnering attention on social media. The Isle of Palms Police Department (IOPPD) frequently responds to calls from residents to safely relocate these juvenile alligators. This summer, Officer Ben Mize from the IOPPD was tasked with moving a young alligator from a resident's yard, while Animal Control Officer Ryan Warren successfully relocated an alligator from beneath a vehicle.
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Officer Ben Mize (Relocating a juvenile alligator from a resident's yard)
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Animal Control Officer Ryan Warren (Relocating an alligator from under a vehicle)
With an Alligator Management Policy in place, the Wild Dunes Community Association (WDCA) is actively striving to ensure that interactions with these large reptiles are incident-free. The policy aims to "minimize the need for removal and destruction of adult alligators."
WDCA Chief Operating Officer, Dave Kynoski, emphasizes, "One of our objectives is to reduce interactions between property owners, visitors, and alligators. This approach generally decreases the necessity for removal."
Central to the policy is the promotion of safety and wildlife preservation through education, which Kynoski considers pivotal for alligator and human safety. "Education plays a crucial role, particularly in a community like ours, frequented by many visitors. We want to ensure they grasp the importance of exercising caution in the natural environment."
Alligators inhabit a wide range of habitats due to their adaptability to fresh, brackish, and saltwater environments. Regarding the beach video from May featuring a hatchling, Kynoski explains that such occurrences are not surprising, stating that "they do end up there from time to time."
When alligators aren't on the beach, they can be found in various ponds and lagoons scattered throughout the community. In addition to education, the policy also promotes contact deterrence through the strategic placement of warning signs around bodies of water hosting these reptiles.
"We utilize signage and educate our homeowners and guests at Wild Dunes about the need for vigilance," Kynoski elaborates. He underscores that alligators may pose a threat to curious pets, children, and young adults who venture too close.
Homeowners and renters receive timely newsletters and a guide on managing "nuisance" alligators. Nuisance alligators must meet specific criteria for removal to be considered necessary.
The WDCA Alligator Management Policy outlines the following as nuisance criteria:
- Displays repeated aggressive behavior towards humans, posing a safety concern. This includes frequent hissing or advancing toward humans instead of retreating into water.
- Typically measures six feet or more in length; however, behavior takes precedence in determining nuisance status.
- Leaves its natural lagoon or marsh habitat, consistently settling in areas close to human activity without retreating when approached.
Strict enforcement of these criteria aims to minimize the number of removal requests for alligators that pose no actual threat. Kynoski acknowledges the delicate balance, stating, "It's a challenging task. We aim to minimize disruption to native wildlife habitat while ensuring the safety of our property owners and guests."
This policy benefits both humans and alligators, underscoring the importance of coexisting harmoniously and preserving the shared environment. "Maintaining a separation between alligators and humans is generally in the best interest of both parties," concludes Kynoski.