NUISANCE ALLIGATOR PLAN: Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve Barataria Preserve 2001

National Park Service

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve was established to "...preserve and protect the natural and cultural resources of the Mississippi River Delta Region...". In accomplishing this mission, the Park must endeavor to preserve the natural processes while ensuring the safety of park visitors. The objective of this plan is to provide for visitor safety while preserving the alligator population at the Barataria Preserve for its ecological, aesthetic, educational and scientific value. This goal will be attained through an integrated program of education, preventative measures, enforcement and control, and will require the cooperation of all park staff. Despite National Park Service (NPS) regulations, some visitors elect to feed park alligators and other wildlife. This activity is detrimental to wildlife, and can condition certain wildlife species to lose all fear of humans and view them as source of food. When this occurs, the conditioned animal may become aggressive towards humans, which places the safety of park visitors in serious jeopardy. The park must take decisive and appropriate action to reestablish natural behavior of habituated wildlife and protect the visitor. Therefore this document has been developed to provide park staff with authorized guidance and procedures for dealing with the situation and actions of nuisance alligators at the Barataria Preserve.