By DIANTÉ MARIGNY
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
LOS FRESNOS, TX—A local family got an unexpected visitor last week when they discovered a 10-foot American alligator swimming in their backyard pool.
Jacob Reinbolt, an alligator expert, educator and licensed nuisance alligator trapper with the South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary, responded to the call after homeowners initially estimated the reptile was between 6 and 8 feet long. When Reinbolt arrived, he found the alligator measured closer to 10 feet. He and his team safely captured and relocated the animal in about 15 minutes.
Reinbolt said the alligator appeared to have endured years of surviving in the wild, bearing scars from fights with other alligators, a gunshot wound to its snout and a partially missing tail. He believes the mature alligator may have been displaced while searching for new territory before ending up in the residential neighborhood.
The South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary reminded residents that alligators are a protected native species in Texas. People who encounter one should never attempt to capture, feed or approach the animal. Instead, they should contact Texas Parks and Wildlife or a licensed nuisance alligator trapper. Experts also recommend supervising children and pets near canals, resacas and other bodies of water, especially during the evening hours when alligators are most active.
The rescue drew praise on social media for Reinbolt and the sanctuary’s quick response.
“Thank God you are in the RGV to assist in these situations with your knowledge and expertise, Mr. Jacob Reinbolt!” Dora Margarita Polin wrote. “I’m glad you were available to assist.”
Rossy Cepeda also commended Reinbolt’s work, writing, “He is very professional. I saw a talk he gave at the Birding and Nature Center in SPI.”
The South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary regularly responds to nuisance alligator calls throughout Cameron County while educating the public about safely coexisting with the region’s native wildlife. Reinbolt has previously assisted with several high-profile captures, including an 11-foot, 10-inch alligator found in a Los Fresnos neighborhood earlier this year and smaller alligators discovered in residential swimming pools.