Have you heard of SC’s Milton the alligator? Here’s what to know about the reptile
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Milton is a clever and curious alligator at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet.
As the story goes, Milton is often found outside the park’s marsh near the Atalaya Castle. There, he finds objects such as a silver pocket watch, a beach ball, sunglasses, and even a harmonica left behind. He hides them in a secret spot under a cluster of water lilies.
A girl named Lily reads about his story and comes to photograph the alligator. She eventually makes him a wooden alligator, which he adds to his treasures.
The interest in Milton has grown over the years. So has his story. Unfortunately, it’s not true, according to Mike Walker, interpretive ranger at Huntington Beach State Park.
Walker said by email that he’s not sure who originally made the story up, but “it is entirely a work of fiction with no basis in reality.”
The truth is that park rangers don’t name any of the more than 100 alligators at the park, and Walker said, “We don’t want people naming them,” by phone.
“It’s not safe for kids to think of them as cartoon characters,” Walker said. “We want to keep our wild alligators wild.”
There is also no such “friendly” alligator. Park visitors should keep their distance from the alligators. Many signs in the park warn people not to feed the gators or get too close.
Walker said alligators are a big draw to the Georgetown County park, which is full of marshes and located along the ocean. They are the top predators there.
The park is probably the single best place to see wild alligators in South Carolina, Walker said.
Walker said the reptiles are “hugely important” to the health of wetlands. Walker offers presentations about the alligators at the park’s Nature Center.
He’s not sure how old some of the alligators are at the park. However, he may be able to find out come this fall.
Walker said the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will begin a satellite tracking program of the park’s alligators. The SCDNR will use six transmitters placed on some of the bigger alligators to track their movements and study them. This will help determine information about the alligators, including their age.
While Milton is not present, there are plenty of alligators to see. Walker said the best time to see them is early in the morning, a few hours after dawn, and the last couple of hours before dark.
That’s when the temperatures are cool and the alligators are more active. Walker said visitors can safely view them from the causeway leading into the park.
