During our trip back from Virginia Beach this past week, I noticed a dead animal on the side of I-64 near Charlottesville, VA. As the car ahead of us neared the carcass, a long slender animal scrambled away from the roadkill and quickly went under the guard rail into the shrubs. Already tired from beginning a late trip back home, I shook my head in disbelief, thinking, “There’s no way that’s what it looked like. An alligator?”
Nothing else I’ve seen runs like a gator. This was a large reptile and much farther north than I would’ve expected to find. It was large enough to maim or kill a human.
When I got home, I discovered through research that alligators are moving farther north and some had been reported near where I spotted this one. Sadly, I didn’t have an opportunity to get a photo while we passed, but I certainly didn’t want to go back for any sort of closeup.
Stay safe this 4th of July weekend, folks!
More to come …