Alligator euthanized after crossing street; Myrtle Beach community outraged

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Community members along the Grand Strand are outraged after a large alligator was euthanized by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources after it crossed the road in the Myrtle Beach area this week.

SCDNR responded to the intersection of Grand Dunes Boulevard and the Highway 17 Bypass after getting calls about a 7-to 8-foot alligator in the road Wednesday morning, according to our news partner WPDE.

A spokesperson said the alligator was removed and euthanized, which is standard protocol for when one is in a roadway.

According to South Carolina law, an alligator deemed a “nuisance” has to be euthanized when captured by authorities.

Local wildlife advocate Russell Cavender, also known as “Snake Chaser,” said no matter what, the alligator would always be considered a “nuisance.”

“Whether they’re crossing the road, lost in the pool, in someone’s backyard, it’s considered a nuisance alligator,” Cavender said. “We are developing this area quickly and we are destroying their habitat fast, very fast. They have nowhere else to go. They have to cross a road to find another place to live.”

In May 2019, Cavender told WCIV his contract with the SCDNR was terminated after the department learned he was not euthanizing alligators. He said his contract called for him to capture and euthanize large alligators.

“I always had the ability to find a safe place for the alligator and for the people,” he said. “A lot of gators have died since I lost my contract last year.”

RAW VIDEO: 4 men wrangle gator from Hilton Head Island home No one was hurt.

A bill sponsored by Senator Greg Hembree is working to redefine the law regarding the capture and removal of alligators in South Carolina.

The proposal sets conditions for the humane removal of alligators, which includes nonlethal options.

However, COVID-19 derailed the legislative session this year, so the bill is currently sitting in the Senate Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry. Hembree said because this is the second year of a two-year legislative session, every bill that’s pending will need to be pre-filed again. He said he will pre-file the bill in December and they’ll be able to take it up in January when the next legislative session begins.

“I guess we don’t have any choice but to wait,” Cavender said. “COVID-19 has stalled this country. Not just this country, this world. Alligators are going to continue to die until this bill passes.”

Cox Media Group