In Mississippi, there is no record of an alligator attack, fatal or not. I always said I'd never work here, but then the girl I was going to marry was here (she came in to help my mother in 1983), my family was here, and downtown Laurel was starting to die. Most people are uncomfortable around snakes and may be uncertain of their ability to identify them. Laurel is a city located in Jones County Mississippi.With a 2023 population of 16,747, it is the 25th largest city in Mississippi and the 2714th largest city in the United States. Use the checklist below to discover what mammals live in the Mississippi National . If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. "On a scale of one to 10, maybe a two," Flynt said. West Nile virus does not make the headlines quite like it did years ago, but cases continue to be reported. For the six of us, all in our twenties, it was like a game: How can we make downtown Laurel feel alive again? The Waterfront Hiking Trail In Mississippi Will Capture Your Imagination, Treat Yourself To A Homemade Ice Cream Cone At The Velvet Cream In Mississippi, This Secluded Nature Trail In Mississippi Is So Worthy Of An Adventure, This Enchanting And Historic Island In Mississippi Is The Perfect Day Trip Destination, 15 Things You Quickly Learn When You Move To Mississippi, 12 Things Only True Mississippians Can Tell You About Life In Mississippi, 10 Reasons Why People From Mississippi Are Unbelievably Tough, 11 Stereotypes About Mississippi That Need To Be Put To Rest Right Now, 11 Life Lessons Everyone Learns Growing Up In Mississippi.. The heaviest one taken (during the 2012 permit hunting season) down there was 636 pounds. It wouldn't be summer or fall in Mississippi without the sounds of mosquitoes buzzing. "When we all came home from collegeMallorie and Jim Rasberry, Emily and Josh Nowell, Ben, and mewe were the only people who lived downtown," Erin remembers. Have some feedback for us? "The current state record length of 16 feet, 6 1/2 inches was taken down there. A longtime resident, she served as executive director of Laurel Main Street from 2011 to 2020. Flynt expects the Pascagoula River to once again produce the so-called trophy alligator, which would top 600 pounds and 10-feet long, despite Hurricane Isaac dropping nearly 20 inches of rainfall on the area during the final weeks of the season. On December 28, 1954, an F3 tornado tore directly through the city, injuring 25 people.[12]. Twenty-five percent of the alligator population in Mississippi is found Jackson County and the Pascagoula River drainage system. According to a report published by Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, an estimated 23 people were killed by alligators between 1948 and 2004. Alligators are found in coastal habitats from Texas to South Carolina, and occasionally venture into saltwater. and signals that you've found the historic district of this small Mississippi town. 13. Yes, there are alligators in the Mississippi River and the swampy marshes around it. Theres many different places where you can see alligators in Mississippi both in the wild and in zoos. How many times have you been stuck behind a tractor? City government consists of a mayor-council form. Despite the many alligators in South Mississippi, Flynt said alligators are not a direct threat to humans unless an animal is fed by humans on a regular basis. Harrison and Hancock counties are home to an estimated 13 percent of the Magnolia State's alligator population and Jackson County is home to 25 percent. By the time an animal control officer showed up, the gator had taken cover under a pile of pallets next to the restaurants dumpster. It is one of the two extant species in the genus Alligator, and is larger than the only other living alligator species, the Chinese alligator . I explained my cataracts theory, and this woman behind the counter looked at me and said, 'I'll take you.' To learn more, explore Mississippi's Amtrak stations below: Mississippi Amtrak Stations City of New Orleans. More than 6,000 acres of the land are licensed to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks to manage wildlife within this area. This is your guide to discovering Laurel, Mississippi, the official filming location for Home Town on HGTV, starring Laurel's own Erin and Ben Napier. Laurel was the big city for us. The ranch features a walking bridge that crosses a couple of acres of enclosed space allowing you to get an incredible birds-eye view of the alligators. The officer and a game warden with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) set the animal free outside city limits. It just means we appreciate it that much more when we do get it. The sex of an alligatoris determined by the temperature of the egg at around 21 days of incubation. Black bears and mountain lions may rarely wander through the park, although neither represent resident populations. As Erin explains, every single person is important to the renaissance of this town: "You need the accountants and the lawyers to make sure grants are done properly, and you need the preachers and the teachers who can gather volunteers from the churches and schools." "They're shutting down their respiratory system. Although the odds of dying from a venomous snake bite are low, the pain caused and the price of treatment are extreme. Ribbon snakes love water, but are excellent climbers too. By the 1920sthe peak of Laurel's lumber productionthe area's four mills were producing a total of one million board feet of lumber per day. The Agape Church founders foster community beyond their walls. Mississippi Highway 15 passes through the south and west sides of the city, leading northwest 24 miles (39km) to Bay Springs and southeast 28 miles (45km) to Richton. FollowClarion LedgerOutdoors on Facebookand @BrianBroom onTwitter. Here in Mississippi, we like our tea cold and sweet. Deer hunting and squirrel hunting are the most popular, with turkey hunting available during spring. Mr. I just thought, 'Man, I need to do something different.' Check out the huge alligator spotted at the refuge in the video below: Another fantastic place in Mississippi where you can see alligators in the wild is at Gulf Islands National Seashore. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. alligator, (genus Alligator), either of two crocodilians related to the tropical American caimans (family Alligatoridae). Fishing is also an excellent sport here, as the lake hosts many fish species such as the channel catfish, flathead catfish, black crappie, white crappie, blue catfish, green sunfish, and white bass. ':Alligator kills Mississippi woman's dog. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 61.3% African-American, 29.8% non-Hispanic white, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Native American, and 1.0% reporting two or more races.[17]. My son is there, and my daughter-in-law, who's like my best friend. The Wausau-Southern mill from Wausau, Wisconsin, followed in 1911, and the Marathon mill from Memphis, Tennessee, in 1914. We opened in 2017, and now there are very few days you can come in here that we don't have a full house.". See full Affiliate Disclosure here. My husband, Joseph, would deliver before and after work and all weekend. That's my measure. "I still get a kick out of going out and getting them," Wayne said. I started doing research into all these different places. Since then, every state that the river flows through has imposed strict cautions that warn people to report alligator sightings immediately and stay out of the water unless supervised. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. "It was kind of fake it till you make it," says Erin Napier. "Laurel is personal to me," says Holifield, who was born here and has lived close by nearly all her life. With large teeth and bone-crushing jaws, large alligators can easily kill a human. [22][23], The Mississippi Department of Mental Health South Mississippi State Hospital Crisis Intervention Center is in Laurel. "Nary a one," Flynt said. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. I think everybody was just so excited about downtown.". Female alligators are protective, caring mothers. In the late 1960s, American Alligators were thought to be on the verge of extinction in the marshy wetlands bordering the Mississippi River, but they have since made a remarkable recovery. "The potential is there," said Ricky Flynt, Alligator Program Coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Louisiana and Florida have the largest alligator populationsthere are more than one million wild alligators in each state. Thanks for reading this post on where to see alligators in Mississippi. However, the last significant sighting dates back to 2017, when someone from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stated that he saw three alligators at the lake. There are parts of the Pascagoula that are extremely remote and have been home to big alligators for a long time. Subscriber exclusive:'A ferocious predator': Mississippi scientists uncover skeleton of ancient sea dragon, How rare is it to encounter a shark? Laurel is the headquarters of the Jones County Sheriff's Department, which administers in the county. While there have been roughly 30 fatal attacks in the last 60 years, all but two occurred in Florida. "It was about sparking curiosity, getting people to say, 'Oh, something's going on hereI wonder what it is.' In 2007, a 5-footer was captured alive in Johnston County near Micro. The charming town of Laurel, Mississippi came to prominence as the yellow pine capital but most recently has appeared on the hit HGTV show Home Town, which premiered in 2016. They also have a denser (human) population near water. (AP) The lower three counties of South Mississippi are home to 38 percent of the state's alligators. If youre looking for somewhere to see alligators in Mississippi then youre in the right place. a 27-year-old who goes by "Boo" and works for a trucking company in Laurel, Miss . Are There Alligators In Laurel, Mississippi? The Laurel Mercantile Co. team, from left: Ben & Erin Napier, Josh & Emily Nowell, Jim & Mallorie Rasberry. We were just like, 'Yeah, Laurel's a cool placeyou didn't know?' When I got back, I said, 'All my friends are gone, deceasedwhat am I gonna do?' Order the fried chicken with three sides at Pearl's Diner. [11] The area is also prone to tornadoes. After all, the American alligator is also called the Mississippi alligator, and there it is, the Mississipi, right in St. Louis! In 2017, a fishing couple caught a dead 10-foot alligator in the Neuse River near New Bern, according to N&O archives. Follow The Clarion-Ledger Outdoors on Facebook and @BrianBroom on Twitter. This story was originally published February 20 . Right across the street from City Hall used to be the Pinehurst Hotel. Laurel is a city in and the second county seat of Jones County, Mississippi, United States. If a person is bitten by a venomous snake, the Mississippi State Department of Health suggests keeping the affected area at or slightly below the level of the heart and getting the victim to a hospital as quickly as possible. Leo Reynolds/Flickr. There have been several sightings of heavyweight alligators in the river. Laurel has the second county courthouse as there are two judicial districts in Jones County. We bought this place in 2015 and began renovations (Joseph is a contractor). This is the place! By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. ", The Napiers and their friends were not the only ones making headway here. Comprised of various natural habitats such as wetlands, woods, forests, grasslands, and beach fronts, it is no surprise that wildlife is diverse and plentiful in the southern state of Mississippi. Because alligators are. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. The population density was 1,192.3 people per square mile (460.2/km2). As you approach downtown Laurel from I-59, the first thing that you see is a massive mural. That animal would likely come from the Pascagoula River basin that's filled with swamp grass, trees, baitfish and other animals. The following year, in response to a U.S. In the center of town, book a spacious room with soaring ceilings above Sweet Somethings Bakery. ", "I was born and raised in Ellisville, about 15 minutes from here. "They're shutting down their circulatory system," Flynt said. Of those, about five are fatal each year. You will recognize them from the latest hit show on HGTV. [31] The show portrays renovations of local homes in and near Laurel. "She's a force," says Erin. Ricky Flynt, alligator coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said the estimated number of alligators in Hancock County is fewer than 5,000 and in Harrison County the number is fewer than 2,000. The three-foot gator turned up at the restaurant location on Leontyne Price Boulevard. The alligator was once an endangered species in the US, but it has now made a comeback. The owner of Pearl's Diner dishes out homegrown hospitality.
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