BELL COUNTY, Texas — A typical day on the lake might include all of the usual activities, kayaking, fishing, swimming or just enjoying the outdoors, but Central Texans may want to keep an extra eye out, as they may not be the only thing swimming through the local waters.
A video captured by Craig Damiano Sr. on April 12 showed an alligator making its way through Stillhouse Hollow Lake in Bell County.
"There was a big ole splash that came right in front of the boat and it was an alligator and I was like 'oh my goodness'," Damiano said.
A calm afternoon on the Stillhouse Hollow Lake, turned into a unique sighting for the fisherman.
"He just came right in front of me and made a left. And as he was making a left, I grabbed my phone so I could film some video," Damiano said.
Damiano estimates the alligator was about four to five feet long, which may not be massive compared to some gators, but probably isn't something most swimmers would want to run into.
Alligators are rare in Bell County, but there are some who make the area their home.
"Alligators are coming out of the winter season and starting to feed," Jonathan Warner, Texas Parks and Wildlife Alligator Program Leader, said. "And, we are heading directly into mating season so there is a lot of movement associated with that behavior as well."
Most of the alligator population in Texas prefers to stick close to marshes in the southeastern part of the state, but Stillhouse Hollow Lake Natural Resource Specialist and Park Ranger Sean Jones says gators have been spotted here in the past, but not often.
"6 years ago it wasn't an issue. Very, very rare," Jones said. "In the last year or two it has kind of up ticked to maybe two or three times a year. Maybe."
Two or three times a year, and Damiano got to witness one of those first hand.
"Right place right time or wrong place wrong time," Damiano said. "But it was really cool. I'm just glad I got out of it safely."
Bell County lakes are also a safe place for gators to live because it is illegal to hunt them in public areas.
Many people's first instinct when seeing an alligator may reasonably be fear, but but Texas Parks and Wildlife Alligator Program Leader, Jonathan Warner, says there's no need.
"Alligators by nature are very shy, docile animals," Warner said. "We always encourage folks that it's still a wild animal, keep your distance. Still enjoy the sighting, but don't try to approach it."
If you don't bother them, they won't bother you.
Instead of panicking, Damiano enjoyed the sighting and decided to give him a name.
"I stumbled across Mr. Alligator. I call him Fred by the way," Damiano said.
Maybe one day, you will get to see a Fred too.
And if you do, remember...
"You do your thing, let the alligator do its thing," Warner said. "And, let's continue to be good neighbors, hopefully."
After all, these gators call Bell County home too.
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