’Gator on the green
At Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina, alligators are as much a part of the scenery as pleated shorts and sand bunkers.
Like many other large, luxury golf courses on America's east coast, Kiawah's mosaic of ponds, lakes, roughs and greens is prime habitat for these ancient crocodilians. After spending the winter hunkering in watery dens, spring sees the males emerge and start to roam for food and mates. “Males displaced from a stretch of water by rivals often have to seek new territory on foot, which means ambling across fairways and past driving ranges,” says producer Mark Wheeler, who filmed the behaviour for the forthcoming BBC Two series Cities: Nature’s New Wild. Roaming in built-up areas can bring the animals into conflict with humans, but out on the golfing green, player and predator seem able – for the most part – to share the space in peace.