SUGAR LAND, Texas – A Sugar Land community is getting frustrated with what they said is lack of action by their HOA president in removing an alligator.
People who live in the New Territory community called KPRC 2 about a nearly 7-foot long alligator roaming their neighborhood for nearly a week.
“It may have been funny the first day or two but now it’s getting pretty serious,” said resident Gaylin Fagan. “He’s been here over a week or so and he’s running out of stock in our lake. So now what happens? He’s getting hungry.”
Fagan noticed her new neighbor in her backyard last Friday, May 5. Since then, she said it is swimming up and down the community’s manmade pond.
“It’s so terrifying to have an alligator out of our back gate staring at you, wanting your dogs. Because I have yorkies and he just wants those yorkies really bad,” Fagan said.
Saturday morning, the reptile left the pond reaching Leslie Little’s front door. Little spent the morning trying to get someone out to remove it. She ultimately called Sugar Land police who sent out animal control, Little said.
“Really all the animal control did was kind of watched him while he backed out down the street and back down over here to the lake,” she said.
Little and Fagan say they reached out to the HOA to get it removed.
“Since it’s deed restricted, our HOA director has to complete a nuisance report from the state and that allows [a private contractor] to come out and actually do something with the alligator,” Fagan said. “Until that nuisance report is complete no one can touch that alligator.”
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife, game wardens or permittees are the only ones allowed to remove alligators “when deemed in the best interest of public safety.”
Residents want the HOA president to file a nuisance report so they can hire someone with a permit. Once this happens, the Texas Parks and Wildlife said, “permitee may release nuisance alligators in areas of suitable habitat with prior written approval of the Department and the Landowner/agent of the property where the release occurs. Authorization must be on file with the Alligator Program prior to any relocation. Alligator relocation will not be a common occurrence.”
“I think it’s unacceptable of our HOA not to do something about this immediately before someone or something gets hurt,” Little said. “So, if its nighttime or something you might not see that. You might be getting out of your car and it’s lying in the grass. You might be walking, you might be running, you might have small kids.”
KPRC 2 reached out to the HOA president for comment but did not hear back.
Timothy DeRamus said someone in the neighborhood has called his company, Bayou City Gator Savors, to help relocate the alligator. DeRamus said the HOA president first needs to report it to the state before he is allowed to come out and remove the alligator. DeRamus is a rapid response permitee for nuisance alligators. DeRamus removes hundreds of alligators a year. He said, if contacted properly, he would take it to Gator Country in Beaumont or another facility in El Campo. There is a fee.
Read the Texas Parks and Wildlife nuisance control protocol for alligators.
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