It's funny that this story popped up on my timeline today: yesterday, on my way home from work, I had to stop to allow a turtle to cross the street.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is alerting people to the possibility of wildlife showing up in populated areas. The organization is also asking that people leave the wildlife alone.

Some people might think that alligators and snakes and turtles live in the water. They don't. They hunt in the water, but they don't LIVE in the water. Their homes/nests/dens/beds are on land. What happens when that land floods? Well, they move to higher ground.

So far since the rains started this week, I have seen posts about alligators, snakes, turtles, nutria, and rabbits in back yards of homes and on the lawns of businesses, from Abbeville to Zwolle.

These animals aren't after you, they are just looking for a place to stay safe, just like we (are supposed to) do when a flood comes.

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If you are to find wildlife in a populated area, the best thing to do is to leave it alone. As the water levels return to normal, the wildlife will return to its natural habitat. Unless, of course, you feed it.

If you start feeding the animals, they will do what a lot of teenagers will do: stick around because "free food", right? How do you think my parents got me to leave the house? They stopped feeding me! (Just kidding: my parents were Cajun through-and-through.)

If snakes or alligators or any other dangerous animal is very close to your home, for the safety of the animal and your family, you may want to contact the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to report it.

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