Recent Alligator Sighting In New Orleans Raises Safety Concerns

(New Orleans, Louisiana) - Two large alligators were spotted in a New Orleans canal, and this video should be a reminder to all that if you're in Louisiana, there's always this potential threat.

Sure, we all know that there are a lot of alligators in Louisiana, so much so that there will soon be a recreational alligator hunting season in "Sportsman's Paradise" to help contain the population boom.

However, when you see two very large alligators in a city like New Orleans, it is eye-opening.

And while alligators are nothing new to being in New Orleans, this takes me back to a conversation I had years ago with a former Louisiana State Trooper who told me a story about working in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

The former Trooper told me that while on patrol one evening in New Orleans, they were driving along a roadway with water across it when someone in his unit told him to watch for the light pole in the water. Well, when the officer who was with the Tropper exited the unit, he found out that it was not a light pole, but rather, a large alligator swimming in the city.

Again, a story like this should be a reminder for all of us in Louisiana that there are some very large alligators here, and if you have small kids or pets and live near a waterway, you should always be on alert and keep an eye out for alligators.

New Louisiana Alligator Hunting Season

Senate Bill 244 creates a recreational season this fall where hunters can use hook-and-line methods from land on public or private land.

Louisiana residents may hunt alligators on private lands/lakes they own or have permission to hunt, or on public lands/lakes with access granted through a bidding or lottery. They must have a valid alligator hunting license and alligator harvest tags.

Now, take a look at these two large alligators that are just relaxing in a New Orleans canal. Do you think they'll find their way to Bourbon Street?