MOBILE, Ala. — An alligator was spotted Thursday morning along the edge of the lake at Municipal Park, and city officials say the animal poses no immediate concern unless it becomes aggressive.
The sighting happened around 11:15 a.m. near Hole 11 on the Municipal Red disc golf course. Matthew Aaron Dudley, who runs Duds Disc Diving, a retrieval service for disc golfers, was preparing to wade in to find a client’s disc when he noticed the gator. He recorded it and left the water’s edge as soon as it started moving.
City: removal only if a gator becomes a threat
Mobile Parks and Recreation said it was aware of the report and had spoken with Alligator Control about the possible sighting at Langan Park. In a message posted to its Facebook page, the department explained that the Department of Conservation will remove an alligator only if it is determined to be aggressive and posing a threat, or if it has been fed by humans and lost its fear of people — in which case it would be euthanized.
Alligators are common in the lakes, bayous and wetlands across south Alabama and are typically shy around people. Officials encourage residents to keep their distance, avoid feeding wildlife, and report nuisance alligators to the state’s regional wildlife office.