A couple of days ago, the Cavern County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina received a rather unusual call regarding a hit-and-run accident.
Believe it or not, an adult alligator was struck by a speeding car while crossing Highway 70.
Animal Protective Service officers rushed to the scene, eager to help the poor alligator.
As they shared on their official Facebook page, even though the accident had the potential to be much worse, the alligator suffered only minor injuries to its back leg.
Determined to ensure the alligator’s safety, APS contacted North Carolina’s Wildlife Resources Commission district biologist Chris Kent.
Kent teamed up with a fellow biologist Deanna Noble and wildlife officers Biggerstaff and Jurkovski.
Together, they met APS officers at the accident site to safely transport and tag the injured alligator for further tracking.
Tagging the alligator was a crucial step in their rescue mission since tracking is of great help to ASP officers.
This allows them to monitor each movement and ensure the health of local alligator populations, thereby helping to maintain a balanced ecosystem.
In their Facebook post, ASP officers took the opportunity to express their gratitude to the Craven County deputies who managed the busy traffic and later helped them lift the heavy gator.
Locals also didn’t hesitate to express their appreciation for this noble rescue mission and thank the authorities for a job well done.
A woman named Suzanne Bates Maciulewicz said:
“Thank you for your community care!”
While Sheila Haller commented:
“Thank y’all for what you do!!! We love you!!!”
A man named Jimmy Heath inquired about the state of the car, to which ASP responded, “Car was not on scene,” confirming it was indeed a hit-and-run accident.
As you probably know, alligators are native residents of North Carolina, particularly in coastal areas like Cavern County.
However, while it is common for this species to cross roads, it is devastating that highways often cut through their natural habitats. This means that accidents like this are more common than we might think.
I hope that in the future, the state will address this issue so that our alligator friends can safely cross the road without fear of being struck by speeding vehicles.