The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources announces the release of GatorWise.
The GatorWise project is intended to promote realistic public perceptions about alligators and to provide guidance on responsible human behavior to minimize conflict between people and alligators.
GatorWise is composed of members representing the state fish and wildlife agencies of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, all states within the range of the American Alligator.
“The introduction of GatorWise is important because information about how humans should behave around alligators is similar across the southeast, but until now, each state has had to manage their own outreach sites and information." said Morgan Hart, SCDNR Alligator Biologist. "We hope that being able to reference a central place for information will help people and alligators coexist safely”.
Significant human development is projected to continue in southeastern states in areas of alligator habitat. Alligators are a robust species that can thrive in areas where development occurs, as long as the people in these areas understand how to responsibly coexist with them.
As warm weather returns, GatorWise and SCDNR would like to remind people that it's normal to see alligators moving around and basking in our rivers, ponds, and lakes. Alligators are native to South Carolina and are critical to the health and balance of our ecosystems. Be GatorWise: Admire them from a distance, never feed alligators, and learn more at www.gatorwise.org.