WACO, Texas — The Brazos River in Waco is home to not one, not two, but six alligators, according to a statement by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
TPWD said it has been monitoring a "small number" of juvenile alligators over the past year, and spotlight survey data indicates that there are six known gators ranging in size from one to four feet long.
While alligators are not common in Texas, the Brazos River does form the western edge of their distribution in the Lone Star State, said TPWD, and sightings are "not uncommon".
TPWD stated the "subadult" sized alligators pose no threat to public safety, even with heavy foot traffic near the water.
Alligators are "ecologically important" in many Texas ecosystems, said TPWD, and are naturally aware of people and "averse to disturbance from human activity". The alligators in Waco are at an "elevated risk" of being killed by predators, said TPWD.
The department asks the public to help protect native Texas wildlife by not feeding wild animals in their natural habitat.
More information on alligators can be found at the links below:
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