Latest news with #NorthCarolinaWildlifeResourcesCommission
News18
3 days ago
- News18
Police ‘Detain' 10-Foot Alligator For ‘Being A Dinosaur Without Proper Papers' In US
Last Updated: A 400-pound, 10-foot alligator named "Pepe the Gator" caused a stir in Onslow County, NC. Deputies and wildlife officers safely relocated Pepe after a viral Facebook post. A whopping 400-pound, 10-foot-long alligator sparked a commotion in Onslow County, North Carolina, after being spotted chilling by Old 30 Road. Deputies from the Onslow County Sheriff's Office and officers from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission were dispatched to the scene on Wednesday, May 28, where they successfully wrangled the reptile, now fondly nicknamed 'Pepe the Gator." In a humorous Facebook post that quickly gained traction online, the Sheriff's Office shared a cheeky press release about the unusual apprehension, jokingly referring to Pepe as a 'prehistoric perp." The Onslow County Sheriff's Office got a kick out of capturing the massive alligator, dubbing it 'Pepe the Gator" and jokingly calling it a 'prehistoric perp" in a humorous Facebook post that quickly went viral. 'On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, deputies in Onslow County and officers with NC Wildlife Resources Commission wrangled this prehistoric perp off the pavement today after he was caught loitering near the double yellow line on Old 30 Road. Witnesses say he was just chilling and snapping, clearly ignoring the 'no loitering or lounging on roadways' sign," the statement read. advetisement The playful post further detailed the mock 'charges" against the gator, saying, 'Pepe the Gator, 350–400 lbs, and almost 10 feet in length, has been cited for Suspicion of Being a Dinosaur Without Proper Papers, Public Loitering with Intent to Sunbathe, and Obstructing Traffic. Deputies reported no injuries, unless you count his pride when the gator refused to be cuffed. We're told the gator has been safely relocated — and no, he didn't get to ride shotgun." The Facebook post featured three photos of the massive alligator posing with entertained officials, prompting a flood of humorous comments from social media users who couldn't get enough of Pepe the Gator. After its photo shoot, Pepe the Gator was safely relocated to Camp Geiger, a Marine Corps base in Jacksonville, North Carolina. According to the Sheriff's Office, the alligator had wandered about 3-5 miles from its likely water source. 'It was lost and wasn't where it needed to be," the representative told People. First Published: June 08, 2025, 12:44 IST
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Migratory birds develop antibodies to bird flu, officials say
(WAVY) – Wildlife officials are keeping a close eye on the spread of avian influenza after along the North Carolina coast earlier this year — most of them brown pelicans. The outbreak has since been linked to the H5N1 strain of bird flu, a virus that continues to mutate and occasionally jump to other species, raising concern among experts. Miranda Turner, a wildlife health biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said the area is a prime wintering ground for birds — making it easier for disease to spread. 'When you bring a lot of animals together and you have them traveling from different locations, it's a really good way to transmit diseases,' Turner said. In Hampton Roads, bird flu outbreaks aren't new. Lisa Barlow, president of T recalls treating sick and dying Canada geese during a 2021 outbreak on the Lafayette River. 'We dealt with about three to four dozen Canada geese that came in sick and dying,' Barlow said. 'Only six survived the flu, and even those had to be euthanized due to severe neurological symptoms.' Barlow described birds arriving unable to hold their heads up, their beaks caked in mud. Many died within 24 hours. As the virus continues to affect wildlife, it's not just birds at risk. , including seals, cats and even cattle. Experts say it's mutated at least several times since it was first identified. 'I mean, anything that can do that — it's kind of frightening, but amazing,' Barlow said. Despite the concerning spread, health officials emphasize the risk to humans remains low. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70 human cases have been reported nationwide, including one death. Most infections have been among people with repeated exposure to infected animals, such as poultry or dairy farm workers. 'There's really low risk,' Turner said. 'Still, it's a good idea to clean bird feeders regularly and wear gloves or a mask if you handle injured wildlife.' Barlow also urges caution for those who come across sick birds. 'If you do want to help, wear gloves, protect yourself,' she said. 'Common sense goes a long way.' Meanwhile, as migratory birds continue to interact and spread the virus, some are developing natural antibodies, according to Turner. 'They're bouncing back and creating herd immunity,' she said. Last week, the Associated Press reported the in funding meant to support Moderna's development of a bird flu vaccine. The vaccine, which uses mRNA technology similar to the COVID-19 vaccine, had shown early promise in clinical trials. For now, wildlife officials say they expect to see more outbreaks in the years ahead, especially during peak migration periods. 'Because this virus is so common in migratory birds, it is likely that we will continue to see cases here and there every winter,' Turner said. As of right now, there have been no confirmed human cases of H5N1 in Virginia and although the risk remains low for humans, for birds it can be extremely deadly – leading to large die-off events like the ones we saw near Cape Hatteras. 'Unfortunately, this was the first kind of major large scale mortality event… while it looks really bad at that small scale of seeing 300 brown pelicans die – it's not impacting their population as a whole or the species as a whole,' adds Turner. Turner also explains that the surviving pelicans are still there, 'The brown pelicans that did survive that event were still nesting on that island successfully and are doing well. So really, it's a short scale kind of scary looking event, but nothing that raises alarm for biologists in the long term.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Huge 400-pound alligator captured in North Carolina on 'suspicion of being a dinosaur'
A massive offender with "scaly intentions" was nabbed by authorities after he was spotted loitering "near the double yellow line" on a roadway in North Carolina. "Pepe the Gator," weighing almost 400 pounds and measuring 10 feet in length was caught loitering off the pavement in Jacksonville, around 120 south of Raleigh, with witnesses saying, "he was just chilling and snapping (and) clearly ignoring the 'no loitering or lounging on roadways' sign," Onslow County Sheriff's Office said in a post on Facebook. The prehistoric perp "has been cited for Suspicion of Being a Dinosaur without Proper Papers, Public Loitering with Intent to Sunbathe, and Obstructing Traffic," the sheriff's office said. Pepe was eventually captured and taken to a boat ramp on Camp Geiger, a few miles away, and released back into the wild the same day, sheriff's office spokesperson Trevor Dunnell told USA TODAY. No injuries were reported, except for Pepe's pride when he "refused to be cuffed," authorities said. American alligators occur naturally in North Carolina, according to North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and can be found inhabiting bay lakes, rivers, creeks, marshes, swamps and ponds. The state is the "northern extent of the alligator's range and they generally become less common as you move from south to north along the NC coast," says the wildlife commission. Adult male alligators can weigh up to 500 pounds and can reach 13 feet in length, the wildlife commission said, while females generally grow to less than 9 feet and weigh up to 200 pounds. These wild animals are shy and secretive in nature, according to the commission. Feeding, touching, harming, harassing or poaching an alligator is illegal in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. The department recommends being vigilant in areas where alligators have been spotted and maintaining a safe distance of at least 50 feet in case of an encounter. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Pepe the Gator': 400-pound alligator captured in Onslow County, NC
USA Today
03-06-2025
- General
- USA Today
Huge 400-pound alligator captured in North Carolina on 'suspicion of being a dinosaur'
Huge 400-pound alligator captured in North Carolina on 'suspicion of being a dinosaur' A massive offender with "scaly intentions" was nabbed by authorities after he was spotted loitering "near the double yellow line" on a roadway in North Carolina. "Pepe the Gator," weighing almost 400 pounds and measuring 10 feet in length was caught loitering off the pavement in Jacksonville, around 120 south of Raleigh, with witnesses saying, "he was just chilling and snapping (and) clearly ignoring the 'no loitering or lounging on roadways' sign," Onslow County Sheriff's Office said in a post on Facebook. A dinosaur? The prehistoric perp "has been cited for Suspicion of Being a Dinosaur without Proper Papers, Public Loitering with Intent to Sunbathe, and Obstructing Traffic," the sheriff's office said. Pepe was eventually captured and taken to a boat ramp on Camp Geiger, a few miles away, and released back into the wild the same day, sheriff's office spokesperson Trevor Dunnell told USA TODAY. No injuries were reported, except for Pepe's pride when he "refused to be cuffed," authorities said. Alligators are common in North Carolina American alligators occur naturally in North Carolina, according to North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and can be found inhabiting bay lakes, rivers, creeks, marshes, swamps and ponds. The state is the "northern extent of the alligator's range and they generally become less common as you move from south to north along the NC coast," says the wildlife commission. Adult male alligators can weigh up to 500 pounds and can reach 13 feet in length, the wildlife commission said, while females generally grow to less than 9 feet and weigh up to 200 pounds. These wild animals are shy and secretive in nature, according to the commission. Feeding, touching, harming, harassing or poaching an alligator is illegal in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. The department recommends being vigilant in areas where alligators have been spotted and maintaining a safe distance of at least 50 feet in case of an encounter. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
North Carolina pets at risk of rabies as 'aggressive' fox runs rampant
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. – Officials are warning residents of Mount Airy, North Carolina, to be aware of a fox that may pose a danger to their families, including their pets. Multiple reports from Sunday state the animal was seen around the White Pines Country Club area and has shown "aggressive behavior," according to the Surry County Sheriff's Office. Given this behavior, officials have urged locals to make sure their pets, specifically their dogs, cats and ferrets aged 4 months or older, are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations in case they are exposed to the fox. Officials noted this is in accordance with the North Carolina General Statue 130A-185. They added that multiple people have been exposed to the animal. Residents are strongly advised to be careful and to immediately report any wildlife that they see acting aggressively or unusually to Animal Control, which is currently investigating and attempting to locate the fox. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said all mammals are capable of contracting rabies. In the state, the most common carriers of the disease are foxes, raccoons, skunks and bats, while deer, coyotes, bobcats and other species have been known to carry the disease, as well. How To Watch Fox Weather Rabies can be transmitted to people and pets when saliva or brain tissue from a rabid animal makes contact through scratches, abrasions, open wounds or mucous membranes, officials article source: North Carolina pets at risk of rabies as 'aggressive' fox runs rampant
