<p style="text-align: center;">Hunting Island Nature Center welcomes two American Alligators to new exhibit</p>
The Nature Center at Hunting Island State Park will soon be home to a new exhibit. On Saturday, January 24 at 4pm, the staff will unveil its new alligator enclosure and introduce two new reptiles to the Nature Center. This is the first time since the opening of the Nature Center that alligators have been on display. <a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Cover-Alligators.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-20695" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Cover-Alligators-300x225.jpg" alt="Cover-Alligators" width="300" height="225" /></a>Interpretive Park Ranger, Megan Stegmeir is excited.

“Bringing baby American Alligators to the Hunting Island Nature Center was my goal when I started as the Interpretive Park Ranger. I believe having them here not only gives our guests the experience of interacting with alligators, but also gives them the opportunity to learn about alligators and why we should respect them as a keystone species in our environment,” explains Stegmeir.

The juvenile alligators were given to Hunting Island State Park by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), located in Jackson, SC. Hunting Island’s permit allows to keep the alligators until they reach three feet in length, at which time they will be given back to the SREL for further educational placement.

<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Cover-SC-State-Parks.gif"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-20696" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Cover-SC-State-Parks-150x150.gif" alt="Cover-SC State Parks" width="150" height="150" /></a>The alligators will also be named at the ribbon cutting ceremony with the winning results from a contest recently promoted through social media outlets. Voters were given the options of Bubba and Gump; Bonnie and Clyde; Ally and Oop and Bert and Ernie. Visitors are encouraged to attend the alligator talk which will follow the ceremony. Cake and refreshments will be served. For more information, please call the Hunting Island Nature Center at (843) 838-7437.