An alligator was found lying on U.S. 278 in Bluffton. Here’s what police say happened
An alligator was found lying upside down on its back on U.S. 278 in Bluffton after a car struck it sometime Friday, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report.
The deputy discovered the alligator around 11:20 p.m. near Bluffton Road, which leads to Walmart, the report said.
The deputy then killed the alligator with a single shot of his duty weapon “ending its distress,” then moved it away from traffic to the shoulder of the road, the report said.
Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Maj. Bob Bromage said deputies take the same action when a deer or other animal has been severely injured and is blocking traffic.
This size of the alligator was not listed in the report.
Before shooting the alligator, the deputy called S.C. Department of Natural Resources, who said they did not need to respond to the scene, the report said.
Alligators in South Carolina begin moving more in the springtime as they come out of winter brumation (which is like hibernation) to migrate into warmer waters, according to DNR. The animals’ movement patterns also change as it gets closer to mating season.
In South Carolina, it’s illegal to relocate or remove an alligator without a permit. Even with one, it’s illegal to transport an alligator from one property to another, which is why DNR rarely relocates nuisance alligators, DNR spokesperson David Lucas previously told the Island Packet.
Last May, a mother and her two kids were killed in a fiery wreck after their car hit an alligator crossing I-95 in Orangeburg County.
In July, an 8-foot alligator crossed the road near Compass Rose Park on Hilton Head as Sheriff’s Office deputies directed traffic around the animal.
A month later in August, a Hilton Head woman was killed by an alligator while walking her dog near a pond.
DNR officials urge the public to keep its distance from alligators and never feed them. Anyone who sees an aggressive or dangerous alligator should contact a DNR official.
This story was originally published March 19, 2019 at 2:43 PM.
