Alligator on the Loose! The "Beaver Run Monster"
Posted: Sunday, October 09, 2011
by Jack H. Schick
Security measures to protect American drinking water supplies have dramatically increased over the past decade. Above ground reservoirs are particularly vulnerable to “tampering,” as they are often remotely, rurally located and in many cases have extensive shore lines. The Beaver Run reservoir near Slickville, Pennsylvania, which is about 35 miles north of Pittsburgh, is no exception.
Chris Kerry, manager of the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County, was skeptical, naturally. But, the Authority has an effective substance abuse testing program, and there were further sightings of “The Beaver Run Monster.” Officials huddled over the problem and decided on what they considered to be the best corrective course of action: do nothing.
Alligators are cold blooded animals. The “monster,” which is undoubtedly a discarded pet, will never survive the winter in western Pennsylvania. By spring, it will be nothing but bones, and maybe some alligator skin, which is tough enough to make shoes. Besides, the reservoir is 15 feet deep and has 25 miles of shoreline. The Authority wasn’t sure they’d get any volunteers to go after the beast, so they are not actively searching for it. Kerry has a few guys he’d like to send out, but there could be union problems. Alligator hunting is not not even mentioned in the contract.
The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), is one of two types in the world, the other being the Chinese alligator. The name is an anglicized form of “el lagarto,” a Spanish term for lizard. It was named by the early Conquistadors in Florida. The alligator is a ‘living fossil,’ having been around for 200 million years, since the Mesozoic Era. They have remained almost unchanged since then.
Alligators live in freshwater environments such as ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, swamps and…drinking water reservoirs. They will venture into brackish water, but are not sea creatures. They are found only in China, where they are extreemly endangered, and in the southern United States. Lousiana has, by far, the largest population. They are noted for bone crushing bites and have an average of 75 teeth.
A average, large American alligator weighs up to 800 pounds and reach 13 feet in length. The largest recorded in Florida, according to the Everglades National Park, was 17.5 feet and well over 1,000 pounds. The world record, however, was found in Lousiana. The monster was measured at 19 feet 2 inches. The Chinese species is much smaller, seldom exceding seven feet in length. So, the “Beaver Run Monster” is actually a pipsqueek.
Luckily for the Westmoreland Authority, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is responsible for all wildlife in state water ways. The Authority eagerly handed off the ball. The PFBC agrees. Why tackle a five foot alien predator when nature will take care of the problem soon enough? They say they will fine someone if they can find the person who dumped the warm climate creature into the lake. It’s not an unheard of problem. People pick up a pet alligator in Florida for $20 oe $30 to enjoy watching it eat; until it gets too large for them to handle, at least.
Unluckily, civilians have seen the “Beaver Run Monster,” too. ‘Reptile huggers’ have gotten involved and there is now a public outcry, including on a Facebook page, to “save the alligator!” The reptile curator from the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, Henry Kacpryzk (KAS'-per-zak), has been contacted. He’s going to try to rescue the alligator. He says it won’t be easy, considering the size of the reservoir and the wary, reclusive nature of the animal. He’s hoping that the warm weather forecast for the next week will drive the animal up on land to warm up and they will be able to track it from the drag marks.
The public, the Facebook crowd, Chris Kerry and the Authority Board members; and, probably most of all, the security guard who has to periodically walk the lake shore, will all be rooting for Henry Kacpryzk’s success when he gets out there with his hipboots and snare this week.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Wonder if since this all happened, they caught the alligator? Nice writing. Interesting subject.Thanks again!
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