Up to 350 alligators could soon be on the loose in southeast Texas due to rising floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey, an alligator sanctuary has warned.
Water is within a foot of rising over the fences of Gator Country in Beaumont, which houses hundreds of the dangerous reptiles.
The sanctuary’s most fearsome residents, which include two 13-foot alligators called Big Al and Big Tex, have been placed in trailers to prevent them from escaping.
But workers have warned there is little they can do to stop the escape of the rest of the alligators from their outdoor enclosures.
Up to 350 alligators could soon be on the loose in southeast Texas due to rising floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey
Water is within a foot of rising over the fences of Gator Country in Beaumont, which houses hundreds of the dangerous reptiles (pictured)
Workers have warned there is little they can do to stop the escape of the rest of the alligators from their outdoor enclosures
‘All of these are certified, high fences, but when it won’t quit, it won’t quit,’ sanctuary founder Gary Saurage told KFDM.
‘We’ve worked around the clock and I don’t know what else to do. We’re truly tired.
‘The good news is, we caught all of our crocodiles, all of our venomous snakes.’
Mr Saurage said 12 years spent catching alligators from people’s backyards would be washed away if rain levels rise beyond the sanctuary’s outer fence.
He posted to Facebook on Monday showing the extent of flooding outside his front door, which he was able to drive a boat up to.
In the video, he explains the devastation of the floodwaters which are ‘four to five inches away’ from entering his house.
Two men clear debris from their workplace in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Rockport, Texas
Thousands are now without homes, about 100,000 have lost power and 11 people are feared dead across the entire state as a result of the storm
‘I promise you we’re going to make a comeback,’ he said in the video.
‘I don’t quit that easy.’
Mr Saurage’s warning follows advice from local police last week who said to expect alligators to be displaced as they look for higher ground.
Thousands are now without homes, about 100,000 have lost power and 11 people are feared dead across the entire state as a result of the storm.