County

cess,” said a part of the email response.

“In the last 20 years, it hasn’t happened that often when your’e talking about alligators or crocodilians,” said Wildlife Management Supervisor Brett Beatty of the Ohio Department of

Natural Resources Wildlife Division’s District 5. Beaty said that the Wildlife Division is tasked with native animals, and that exotic animals fall under the Ohio Department of Agriculture when there are issues like this.

“Obviously they’re not native, so they fall outside of the Division of Wildlife’s direct authority,” said Beatty.

He said that they do have a relationship with the Department of Agriculture, because of the nature of their work.

“We typically have folks on the ground spread out more than them. They have folks out and about, but their folks are inspectors and not out wading in a creek,” explained Beatty. He said at times like these, they work together. “We do these things with exotic animals. We do stuff outside, so let’s work together.”

“One of the alligators was shot and killed by an Ohio Division of Wildlife Officer. One remaining alligator, approximately two feet in length, has not been seen since the initial incident,” read the last portion of the e-mail by Harshbarger.

“Our deputies were not involved in anything as far as killing, or trying to track, or anything of that nature, so we weren’t really involved,” said Sheriff Vorhees He said that they also haven’t received any further sightings of the remaining alligator. “I believe in getting it out to the media and public so they can be aware.”