Houma Police Department’s “Reptilian Wrangler” Strikes Again

HOUMA, Louisiana – When an alligator entered the Upper Little Caillou School in Terrebonne Parish, staff knew who to call: Officer Donald Aubrey.

A video posted on the Houma Police Department’s Facebook page shows Aubrey capturing the alligator shortly after arriving at the scene.

“I asked for something to help him close his mouth,” Aubrey said. “For a little guy, he was aggressive. He was aggressive.”

Aubrey is the same law enforcement officer who wrestled with a 12-foot-long python that slithered out of a bayou into a Houma backyard last weekend.

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Catching animals is second nature to the nature lover, but he admits that such a large, dangerous snake caught his attention.

“Stay calm and get it done so I can remove it safely because I know it’s a python and it’s not local and God knows we don’t want the same thing to happen to us that Florida is going through right now,” Aubrey said.

Houma Police Chief Travis Theriot thanked Aubrey for his quick thinking and professionalism.

“When they say there’s no routine use, you never know what’s coming next,” Theriot said. “You go from a 12-foot python to a 4-foot alligator.”

The chief says that while Aubrey was only doing his duty to protect and serve, he deserves the newfound notoriety he has gained from recent animal encounters posted on social media.

“All of our officers do a good job, but I think he made a name for himself on Facebook recently,” Theriot said.

Aubrey says his colleagues here at the Houma Police Department have given him a new nickname: “Reptilian Wrangler.” It’s a name he’s happy to accept.

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“I am committed to keeping the community safe, no matter the cost and regardless of my own fears. Whatever it takes, the safety of the community comes first,” Aubrey said.

Chief Theriot told WWL Louisiana that Officer Aubrey is a good candidate for Terrebonne Parish’s Employee of the Month.

“We’ll see how this turns out for him. I think he’s a hero to a lot of people right now.”

Aubrey said he released the little alligator back into the bayou.

The python has been handed over to the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and will not be returned to the wild.

In the following video you can see the two shots compared side by side:

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