Alabama

Later, gator! Take a stroll through Summerdale, Alabama’s Alligator Alley – Alabama News Center

Published

2 years ago

October 23, 2024

Later, gator! Take a stroll through Summerdale, Alabama’s Alligator Alley – Alabama News Center

For the past two decades, the alligator population in Baldwin County has been steadily growing. Eighteen miles north of Gulf Shores, Wes Moore’s 160-acre Summerdale property – home to Alligator Alley – now boasts more than 700 primitive reptile residents whose distant ancestors once roamed the planet with dinosaurs. While many were born into captivity at the site, others were “nuisance animals” relocated from around the Southeast.

“Alligators have a small brain and a large stomach, and that gets them into trouble,” says Moore, whose family has lived in Baldwin County for more than 150 years. “They have been known to borrow household pets or farm animals and not return them.”

Although rare, news of human attacks do occasionally spill onto media headlines, but Moore isn’t fond of the term “maneater.”

“Can they eat you?” he rhetorically asks. “Yes. But they prefer to live in isolated creeks and swamps. When those areas become waterfront property for humans, alligators may be labeled a nuisance and removed.”

An alligator eyes a visitor from the bank. The gators become active once the temperature gets above 60 degrees. (Nick Thomas / Alabama Living)

For the animals retired to Moore’s alligator sanctuary, the food, water and space are plentiful. While fights can still erupt between males during mating season, Moore says the higher ratio of females to males means less potential for injury than in the wild. Likewise, reduced competition for food leads to less conflict.

“Living here may extend their life expectancy by 50 percent, maybe up to 70 years,” Moore says. “Some will probably outlive me, although I hope they have nothing directly to do with that.”

While caring for hundreds of alligators is clearly a risky endeavor, Moore says he has avoided any contact with the animals’ crushing jaws since establishing Alligator Alley in 2004. But the appeal of danger is partly what drives thousands of visitors to flock to the sanctuary each year, especially eager to witness one of the three alligator feedings scheduled each day during the tourist season.

Restricted to a 60-acre area of the property with plenty of food on hand, it’s no wonder no alligator has broken out into the surrounding community. “Why would they leave?” Moore asks with a smile. “More than likely they would prefer to break in.”

Owner Wes Moore feeds chicken to one of the big gators. (Nick Thomas / Alabama Living)

Feeding time

Beginning around March, when alligators become active, some 1,000 feral pig carcasses are fed to the animals annually, many tossed into the property’s gator-infested 23-acre pond throughout the warmer months. But it’s Moore’s appearance on a golf cart in the reptiles’ territory behind the spectator chain-link fence that’s a highlight for visitors. Alighting with a cooler or two stacked with gator goodies (raw chicken pieces) and sporting a wide-brimmed straw hat, shorts and heavy boots, he inches his way cautiously between the massive 10- to 12-foot-long beasts that lumber onto the bank from the murky pond.

He calls them all by name – Shredder, Elvis, Chili Dog, Big Easy and J.W. – “which I named after a friend of mine, since they both have only four teeth left.” He even offers some a friendly pat on the snout after a chicken thigh disappears through gaping jaws, into their voluminous 55-gallon-sized stomachs.

While visitors are permitted to hold smaller alligators or walk through tortoise and snake displays, it’s the massive alligators that draw the most attention. An 1,800-foot elevated boardwalk guides visitors through the back swamp where dozens of scaly beasts chill out in the green duckweed-covered water, often eyed cautiously by their blue heron neighbors wading through the shallows.

That area is also home to 13-foot Captain Crunch, somewhere in the upper region of 40 years old. Captured by a nuisance alligator trapper near Tallahassee, Crunch holds the world record for bite force at just under 3,000 pounds. Moore can only offer an analogy of what the unlucky recipient might experience if seized by the animal’s monstrous jaws.

“If I dropped a car on you from a height of 2 feet, that’s the bone-crushing force these alligators could generate,” he says.

A visitor holds a young alligator (the jaws are always secured). (Nick Thomas / Alabama Living)

When the cool weather arrives in October, the daily feeding ritual continues for a while but with smaller portions, since the animals’ metabolism slows as they transition into brumation, a period of inactivity over winter when they avoid food for months.

Alligator Alley closes after Thanksgiving, reopening for the Christmas-to-New-Year week, then remains closed until Feb. 1. But late-winter visitors may still glimpse the residents. “If the temperature is above 60 degrees, the alligators will be out for viewing, just no real activity,” Moore says.

Originally purchased by his grandfather in 1939 for farming, the property included a cypress swamp (later expanded) that was home to an alligator called Old Joe. Young Wes was permitted to feed the fascinating creature and the thrill never left, inspiring him to eventually establish an area to protect the animals and educate the public about their role in nature.

Some whimsical signs also serve as warnings to visitors at Alligator Alley. (Nick Thomas / Alabama Living)

While Moore can appreciate an individual alligator’s nuisance factor, he says most do more good than harm.

“Although they do eat fish, they really don’t reduce the gamefish population since they prefer turtles, snakes, otters and beavers in the wild – animals you may not want in your pond anyway,” he says. “So an alligator can help manage your wetland better than you can.”

Alligator Alley is at 19950 Highway 71 in Summerdale. Phone 866-994-2867 or visit gatoralleyfarm.com for more information.

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery and has written features, columns and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers. His website is getnickt.org.

This story originally appeared in Alabama Living magazine.

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Alabama

Live Game, Weather Updates: Tuscaloosa Baseball Regional, No. 7 Alabama vs. USC Upstate

Published

3 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

Live Game, Weather Updates: Tuscaloosa Baseball Regional, No. 7 Alabama vs. USC Upstate

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – 7-seeded Alabama continues NCAA regional action in the Tuscaloosa Regional on Saturday against USC Upstate. The Crimson Tide is coming off a monstrous offensive effort on Friday that saw the team score the most runs in program NCAA Tournament history with 21. The Spartans scored in each of the first four innings to upset Oklahoma State and advance to Saturday’s winner’s bracket game.

Alabama Baseball Regional Tournament Central: Schedule, How to Watch, Bracket Breakdown

Live Updates (Refresh Your Browser For Latest Updates at the Top)

Pregame

Tonight’s start time has been delayed as we’ve entered a weather delay.

Alabama vs. USC Upstate will have a first pitch time of 6:23 p.m. CT. The grounds crew is currently tending the field in between matchups.

5:13 p.m. CT – Oklahoma State beat Alabama State 8-7 in 11 innings to eliminate the Hornets from the Tuscaloosa Regional. The Cowboys move into tomorrow’s elimination game against the loser of Alabama and USC Upstate on Sunday.

Starting Lineups

USC Upstate

Alabama

How to Watch: 7-Seed Alabama vs. USC Upstate in the Tuscaloosa Regional

Who: 7-seed Alabama (38-19, 18-12 SEC) vs. USC Upstate (34-28, 13-11 Big South Conference)

What: NCAA Regional Game 4

When: Saturday, May 30, 6 p.m. CT

Where: Sewell-Thomas Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

TV: ESPN +

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network. LISTEN LIVE

Series: Alabama and USC Upstate have never played in baseball.

Last Meeting: The Crimson Tide and Spartans have never played in baseball.

Last time out, Alabama: The Crimson Tide used 15 hits, and took advantage of eight walks, four errors, and four wild pitches to beat Alabama State 21-3 in their first NCAA Regional matchup of the weekend. Alabama had four different players hit home runs as the Crimson Tide cruised to an easy win.

Last time out, USC Upstate: The Spartans upset Oklahoma State 8-5 in their first game of the NCAA Regional. USC Upstate struck out 10 batters and scored in each of the first four innings to upset the Cowboys.

Tuscaloosa Regional Information

Alabama, (37-19)
Oklahoma State, (37-20)
USC Upstate, (31-27)
Alabama State, (31-21)

Friday

Game 1 – #2 Oklahoma St. (37-20) vs. #3 USC Upstate (33-28), 1 p.m. CT, ESPN+
Game 2 – #1 Alabama (37-19) vs. #4 Alabama St. (34-21), 6 p.m. CT, SEC Network

Saturday

Game 3 – Oklahoma State vs. Alabama State – 1 p.m. CT
Game 4 – USC Upstate vs. Alabama – 6 p.m. CT

Sunday

Game 5 – Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 – 2 p.m. CT
Game 6 – Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5 – 7 p.m. CT

Monday

Game 7 – IF Necessary – Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 – TBD

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Alabama

Oklahoma State Baseball Live Scoring for NCAA Regional vs. Alabama State

Published

13 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

Oklahoma State Baseball Live Scoring for NCAA Regional vs. Alabama State

The Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Alabama State Hornets meet in the first game of Saturday’s action at the Tuscaloosa Regional on Saturday.

The Cowboys (37-21) and the Hornets lost their first games of the tournament on Friday. The loser of this game will be eliminated. The winner of this game will advance to another elimination game on Sunday between the loser of the USC Upstate-Alabama game, which follows OSU-ASU

Oklahoma State fans can keep up with the game here, including lineups and inning by inning details on the game. Check out Oklahoma State On SI’s NCAA Tournament Central for everything related to the Tuscaloosa Regional.

Game Details

Oklahoma State vs. Alabama State

Oklahoma State pitcher Stormy Rhodes. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Time: 1 p.m. central

TV: ESPN+ (Derek Jones & Jared Mitchell on the call). NOTE: TV is subject to change without notice.

Radio: Cowboy Radio Network & The Varsity Network App/93.7 KSPI-FM or okla.state/GetVarsity (Rex Holt on the call)

OSU Batting Order

The batting order for Saturday’s game will be posted here when it is released by the team.

Xxx

Tuscaloosa Regional

Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. Venue: Sewell-Thomas Stadium (5,867).

Friday’s Results

Game 1: USC Upstate 8, Oklahoma State 5

Game 2: Alabama 21, Alabama State 3

Saturday’s Games

Game 3: Oklahoma State vs. Alabama State, TBA (elimination game)

Game 4: USC Upstate vs. Alabama, TBA (advances to Sunday’s final)

Sunday’s Games

Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 (elimination game)

Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5

Monday’s Game

Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary)

(Times subject to change for TV purposes)

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Alabama

A path to employment for Alabama individuals with a criminal background

Published

24 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

A path to employment for Alabama individuals with a criminal background

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – For those incarcerated in Alabama, there is a path to employment through the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles Re-Entry Program.

The Bureau looks at where someone may live after serving their sentence and starts connecting them with potential employers, while also conducting drug screenings to help ensure employers and communities are getting a safe employee.

“We make sure as they’re moving through our re-entry programs that they’re re-assessed for mental health stability for substance abuse challenges,” said Rebecca Bensema, Assistant Director of Re-entry and Rehabilitation.

Bensema said the agency sits down with inmates to gauge their interests and review their work history to help match them with opportunities.

Bureau Director Cam Ward explained that there are areas where an individual would be unable to work because of their conviction.

“For example, if I committed check fraud, I’m not going to be able to get a job at the bank. Sex offense… you’re not going to be eligible to work anywhere near kids or sensitive facilities,” Ward said.

Ward said offering job possibilities to people leaving incarceration is key to reducing recidivism and repeat offenses.

“Give the employer all the information and if they want to hire somebody based on their criminal history, let the employer decide, don’t let the government be the one who dictates it,” he said.

The Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles says it currently has positions open that people with a criminal background can apply for.

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