Fort Worth

Gators Spotted Sunbathing at Fort Worth Nature Preserve

One wildlife photographer said the gators didn't appear to mind being photographed -- from a distance

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A group of alligators took advantage of the rare break in the rain on Saturday.

Wildlife photographers Jimmy Martin and Zach Archibald snapped photos of three alligators sunbathing at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge on Saturday morning.

Martin and Archibald said they hike the preserve often and had heard alligators roamed the area but this was the first time they'd ever spotted one -- much less three.

"I was amazed by it," Martin said. "I wasn't scared."

"It was really a unique experience," Archibald added. "The most I hoped to (see) of a gator was maybe a pair of eyes sticking out of the water or some nostrils. I never in a million years thought I'd see a full-size gator in all its glory."

A group of alligators took advantage of the rare break in the rain on Saturday.

Martin said he believed the larger alligator was at least 8-10 feet long, while the smaller two were around 4-5 feet long.

"It was quite an experience," Martin said. "We tried to get closer but it was flooded too bad."

The photographers said the gators were spotted on the north end of Lake Worth and the West Fork of the Trinity River.

Martin said they watched the alligators for a while and the group didn't seem to mind being photographed -- from a distance.

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