Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gator captured

There was a bit of excitement on Webb Street Friday morning, Sept. 23, as an alligator was captured at the home of George and Emma Young.

Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor said the gator was first reported in the Ridgewood neighborhood early in the day.

Assistant Police Chief with the Prescott Police Department, Morris Irvin, said someone had gone to a local coffee shop and was talking about the gator. He was reportedly accused of being drunk. The report, though, was true.

Emma Young heard something sliding across her yard, opened the screen door and saw the gator, which measured 75 inches long. Her husband, George, told her to close the door as the gator had changed direction and was headed toward the door.

They called the PPD, with Irvin responding. In addition, Barry Higgenbotham, Prescott Fire Chief, Taylor and Steve Smillie, with the City of Prescott, were on hand to help capture the gator. But, everyone had to wait around until Wayne Sorrells with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission arrived.

Smillie built a catch-pole for the gator, a long hollow steel pole with rope looped out one end and tied at the other. Once Sorrells arrived, he and Smillie got a rough measurement of the gator. From there, the fun began as it took three attempts to get the loop over its head.

Once they got control of the gator, Irvin used duct tape to keep its mouth shut. A segment of rope was cut from the catch-pole and used to tie the gators back legs.

Sorrells and Smillie lifted the critter into the bed of Sorrellss truck and took a more accurate measurement of it. Its overall length was 75 inches, or 6-feet, 3-inches. Sorrells, Smillie and Higgenbotham took the gator to the river where it was released.

As an interesting aside, the gator was at the side of the Youngs house near an oak tree. The tree also housed a hive of honeybees everyone worked hard not to disturb.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the capture.