This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

LAFAYETTE – Students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette are being advised to steer clear of alligators on campus during mating season.

Cypress Lake, a small swamp on the university’s campus, is home to many native species of turtles, fish, birds, and alligators.

While the courtship process for alligators began in April, the mating season typically gets underway during the months of May and June, according to a note sent out to students and faculty.

During this process, female alligators build nests and deposit eggs, and the gators can get aggressive as they protect their nests from intruders.

All visitors to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus are asked to stay at least 10 feet away from retention walls, always supervise children, avoid bringing pets near Cypress Lake, and avoid feeding or antagonizing the alligators.

The eggs are expected to hatch in the late summer after about 65 days of incubation.

30.22409 -92.019843