Contrary to the rumors that Fort Worth’s alligator population is made up of pets that people let loose, the reptiles are very much native to the area.
According to Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge manager Jared Wood, the first recorded gator spotting here was in 1849.
Beyond that, researchers don’t know much about the local population, Wood said. That’s why his staff is running a long-term gator spotting operation, part of a yearslong study to establish a baseline of knowledge. How many gators live here? How big are they?
About 20 minutes northwest of downtown Fort Worth, a special-built gator research boat roars through the Trinity River wetlands, vast expanses of water clogged with yellow lotuses. Staff are looking for the signature glint of an alligator’s eye. Once they find a gator, they get it in the boat, tape its mouth shut, tag it and measure it before releasing them back to the wild.
NTX Now host Miranda Suarez and KERA News photojournalist Yfat Yossifor tagged along with nature center staff on a gator-spotting mission and had the opportunity to meet one.
Alligators are a 'keystone species'
That means they have an outsize impact on their environment, according to Wood. They're an apex predator that helps control the population of the animals around them, and large adults maintain their own watering holes.
"If you have alligators, it's generally a sign that if you can support that apex predator, you have a healthy wetland system," Wood said. "And if we have healthy wetlands, that means we have good water for the city of Fort Worth."
Why it's important to learn about alligators
Alligators are what's known as a charismatic species. That's a type of animal that appeals to the human public — think pandas or tigers.
Being able to see an alligator in real life demystifies them, Wood said.
"The feeling when you have the animal next to you, especially an adult, the fear almost goes away," he said.
People need opportunities to experience the nature around them, Wood said, noting that Fort Worth is losing natural land to development every day.
What it's like to hold an alligator
The alligator pictured in this story was between four and five feet long and 15 pounds. That's about the weight of a small dog, like a beagle.
In fact, Yossifor compared it to holding her dog Wilder. To Suarez, it felt more like holding a surprisingly warm leather handbag.
Miranda Suarez is cohost of KERA's NTX Now. Got a tip? Email Miranda at msuarez@kera.org.
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