A 9-year-old boy was attacked by an alligator while swimming in Lake Pontchartrain on Sunday. The boy was with his family near the mouth of Bayou St. John around dusk when the alligator bit him on the leg. His father quickly intervened, managing to free the boy from the alligator’s grip. LSU Ag Center Alligator Specialist Mark Shirley…
“Just about any fresh water or just slightly intermediate or brackish water you’re likely to find an alligator.”
Emergency services were called immediately, and the boy was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he underwent surgery. Authorities have since closed the area for swimming and are working with LDWF to locate and capture the alligator. This incident has raised concerns about safety in areas where humans and wildlife habitats overlap.
“There kind of estimating somewhere between three and 4 million alligators live in Louisiana. The population in Louisiana is about 4.5 million so that’s just about an alligator per person in Louisiana.”
Shirley reminds the public to exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings while swimming in natural bodies of water, especially during peak alligator activity periods.
“Alligators are usually more active as far as feeding at dark and during the night. So especially late int he evening around sundown don’t go wading in the pond or swimming in the pond late in the evening.”
The boys’ condition is stable and doctors expect him to make a full recovery.
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