MAN BITTEN BY ALLIGATOR HAD FED THEM EARLIER, GAME WARDEN SAYS

The man in his late 80s had been out in his backyard feeding alligators just one hour before he was bitten

By By Lea Wilson | Click2Houston | October 18, 2016

RICHMOND, Texas - The State Game Warden with Texas Parks and Wildlife spent a lot of time in a Richmond neighborhood today - surveying the lake and meeting with the family of an elderly man who was bitten by an alligator.

KPRC is told the man is in his late 80s and he was kneeling down near the water's edge cutting weeds when the animal came up and bit him.

Investigators said the man is known to feed the alligators and had been out here in his backyard, giving them food, just one hour before he was bitten.

"That's why it is against the law to feed gators in the wild - because of this right here," Game Warden Barry Eversole said.

Neighbors told Channel 2 the man is always outside, either fishing or feeding the animals.

"I saw so many times. He's out there fishing, probably every day," one neighbor said.

Neighbors said there are a lot of alligators in this area. It's part of the beauty of living here.

Right now, there are no plans to remove any of them.

"If they decide they want to remove alligators there is a process they can go through - that is their choice," Eversole said.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The game warden also said the man told investigators he's been feeding three alligators - 3 feet, 8 feet and 10 feet long. He said the 8-foot-long alligator is the one who bit him.

Proving once again there’s no fool like an old fool!

And alligators have little regard for the old saying, “You don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”