Resort posts warning after tourists pelt alligator with carrots

SAINT HELENA, S.C. — "Don't be stupid."

So states the warning posted by a South Carolina resort urging people not to harass the alligators on the property after tourists threw carrots at one.

"The fine for harassing an alligator is $200," the Fripp Island Activity Center wrote in a post on Facebook. "That's $200 per carrot in this case. Y'all, make good choices. Don't be stupid. This is not how Fripp treats its wildlife."

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The post added that the resort has a description of the people involved and said they will be on the lookout.

While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, experts say most happen when humans provoke them by feeding, prodding or swimming near them, according to the Island Packet, a local paper.

"These animals are really simple," Fripp Island naturalist Jessica Miller said, according to the Island Packet. "They like to be in their water or bask right by it. We just need to stay back."