Alligators In Idaho
I couldn’t believe it I just couldn’t. My parents told me it was true, but I just couldn’t believe it: alligators lived in Idaho! My parents had planned a surprise for the entire family and seeing the alligators was part of the trip. I couldn’t wait. We were going to Idaho in just one week. I was so excited. My family would go see the alligators on our way home from visiting cousins in Boise, Idaho.
All week I was anxious and excited. I could not wait until the weekend came, and we would leave on our trip. Through that week I packed my suitcase, counting down the days until Friday. When Friday came I woke up and jumped up and down with joy.
That morning we left for Boise. We traveled for four hours to get there, but it seemed like a whole week to me. Once in Boise we stayed at my cousins’ house, and visited with them. We had so much fun. We stayed up and played games all night while our parents were asleep. When the day came that we had to leave I was very sad, but excited that we got to go see the alligators in Idaho.
After we said our goodbyes we got in the car and drove off. It would be only two hours until I got to see those long, green alligators. I stayed awake through most of the ride to Hagerman, Idaho, where the alligators were located. When we arrived in Hagerman I got out of the car and slowly walked up the dirt path. Then I started to jog. I was so excited to see the alligators, and had not realized how far ahead of my family I
was. It was not a surprise when I heard my parents holler, “Kristina, slow down.”
I came back with a slight smile on my face, telling everybody to hurry. They were casually walking down the path, enjoying the scenery, but to me it felt like they were moving at the speed of a dead turtle. My family finally hurried up and thanked me for waiting patiently. I glared at them but then we all just laughed. As I walked past a small stream, my brother teased me and said, “Don’t fall! There might be an alligator in there.”
I looked at him and then kept walking on the path. I knew there couldn’t be an alligator in that stream. We continued down the path and came to a sudden stop when we reached a fence that kept us from falling into a large, natural pool.
As we stood by the six-foot chain link fence we saw something moving in the water. Out popped an alligator. It was long and fat. We stared at the alligator in amazement. As we gazed into the pond we spied more alligators. The pond was filled with bluish green water. Cattails, tall grasses and purple flowers surrounded its banks. As we observed the pond closely, we found at least twelve alligators in the pond. Some alligators were twelve to fourteen feet in length. It was hard to see a few of the alligators because the tall grasses camouflaged them. I thought they were the most fascinating creatures I had ever seen. I noticed one alligator, it was probably thirteen feet long, and it looked like it had found itself something to eat. As I watched the alligator eat a fish, I asked my parents, “Why are there alligators in Idaho?”
They told me this alligator pond was part of a fish farm. The farmer raised and harvested catfish, sturgeon and tilapia in the natural warm water of the hot springs in Hagerman. The farmer had a problem that was solved by bringing alligators to his fish farm. He found that alligators would eat and take care of the fish remains or leftovers that people did not want to eat. Both the fish and the alligators needed to be in the naturally warm hot springs water in order to survive. This farmer also raised alligators for their meat and skins. The alligators were kept in large heated barns on another part of the farm. At the entrance of the farm, some alligators were kept in a hot springs pond, behind a security fence so that tourists could observe the reptiles. My family was standing at this very fence of the alligator pond.
I was amazed at the story my parents told me. I thought to myself, “So this is the reason alligators are in Idaho!”
I watched the alligators move slowly in the water as they stalked the swimming fish. The alligators were long and fat, and looked at their prey with beady, yellow-green eyes. One alligator went slowly into the water, with the snout first, and then it’s long scaly body, and finally its heavy tail. We didn’t see the alligator for quite a long time. My whole family was looking for it then we saw the same eyes quickly swimming through the water, on the other side of the pond.
“Wow!” I exclaimed, “What a sneaky alligator.”
My family took a few pictures, and watched the alligators move to different locations in and around the pond. My parents said, “We better go if we were going to make it home before it gets dark”.
I took one more look at the alligators and we left.
I had always wanted to see an alligator, not in the zoo but in the wild. I didn’t want to be too close to the alligator when I saw it either. My dream had been with me since I was in first grade, and it finally came true. Who would have ever guessed there would be alligators in Idaho!
