The Daily Advertiser - www.theadvertiser.com - Lafayette, LA
Bill seeks to ban feeding of wild alligators
By Mike Hasten
mhasten@gannett.com
BATON ROUGE – Feeding wild alligators is “an accident waiting to happen,” says the head of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, so the state should outlaw the activity to make people realize it is dangerous.
The Senate Natural Resources Committee Thursday delayed action on a bill by Sen. Max Malone, R-Shreveport, which would impose a fine or jail term for repeatedly feeding the reptiles. The panel wants state wildlife officials to present evidence next week showing that there is a need to adopt a law against the practice.
“People are just asking for trouble” when they feed a wild alligator, said Randy Lanctot, executive director of the LWF. When fed regularly, “gators get used to people and associate them with food. It’s a bad practice.”
Philip Bowman of the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says his agency receives more than 2,000 “nuisance calls” each year from people who have problems with aggressive alligators.
Another problem, Bowman said, is that some tour guides feed alligators so tourists can see the reptiles up close. When alligators see people in boats, they approach expecting to be fed.
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