KURE BEACH, N.C. (AP) - Wildlife officials want people in North Carolina to give alligators some distance - but take a picture of them first if possible.
Wildlife Resources Commission Diversity Program coordinator Allen Boynton says those photos will help state biologists determine exactly where alligators live in North Carolina.
Boynton told the StarNews of Wilmington that growing populations in southeastern North Carolina are leading to more interactions between alligators and humans.
North Carolina is the northernmost habitat for alligators, and scientists are trying to see how the cooler climate affects the animals' reproduction and size.
Photos can be uploaded at the www.inaturalist.org website. They will be placed on a map for the public to see as well.
