Residents mourn death of alligator at vigil, seek policy change

The Daniel Island News will continue to follow this story in upcoming issues.

 

The death of an alligator has gone viral and national after it was euthanized outside an apartment complex, sparking an outcry from some residents.

 

Daniel Island Village residents and friends gathered Saturday evening, March 15, to mourn the death of an alligator they affectionately named Walter.

 

The vigil was organized by residents and held near the pond Walter often sunned next to and where he was euthanized at the direction of the complex’s property managers, General Services Corporation, or GSA.

 

At the vigil, resident Becky Cole addressed a crowd of 30-plus as she described Walter as “not aggressive,” and how her efforts to stop his killing were unsuccessful. 

 

“For six years, we watched him lie there not bothering anyone. We walked our lab by him at least four times a day as well as other residents,” Cole said in an email to The Daniel Island News.

 

Cole, who was visibly distressed, said the alligator trapper “slit his throat” in front of a gathering of residents who were trying to stop him from euthanizing Walter.

 

Berkeley County councilman Jarrod Brooks also spoke at the vigil. He urged concerned residents to channel their anger toward efforts to support local wildlife and environmental groups.

 

Kelly Gaskins, who helped publicize the vigil, said, “Our goal now is to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.”

 

Gaskins said that she and other residents have reached out to state representatives and the Department of Natural Resources seeking to change the way alligators are captured and removed.

 

Former Charleston city councilwoman and Daniel Island Village resident Marie J. Delcioppo told residents that police, DNR, and other representatives were notified and that an investigation into Walter’s death was underway.

 

With the alligator population significant in the Daniel Island and Cainhoy region, The Daniel Island News will continue to report and follow-up on any legislative efforts to change DNR practices, as well as how communities can coexist with alligators.