6 August 21 - 27, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents last year. Those aggravated assaults would in- clude instances of gun violence, said Rubin- son, but that data drastically undersells what has been recorded. DPD’s interactive dash- board shows that 22 reports of aggravated as- sault with a deadly weapon have been made in Deep Ellum since Jan. 1, and 22 more re- ports of weapons violations have been made. Of those calls, 15 arrests have been made, a 15.38% uptick from the 13 last year. Only one arrest has been made for motor vehicle theft, which is marked in the report with a green -50% because two arrests were made last year. But DPD’s dashboard shows dozens of car burglary reports have been made since Jan. 1. While 27 disorderly con- duct arrests have been made this year, eight more than were made in 2024, DPD data suggests those arrests are just the tip of a very party-hardy iceberg. The city has promised Deep Ellum’s community leaders that it will have a plan to improve public safety ready to be imple- mented by mid-September. Let’s hope that, while making that plan, they use data that actually makes sense. ▼ ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE SCARY TEXAS WILDLIFE IS EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW. BY ALYSSA FIELDS I f temperatures approaching 100 degrees weren’t enough to keep you indoors, in- dulging in the modern luxury that is air conditioning, maybe the abundance of creepy crawly Texas wildlife will be. The summer season brings lots of joys: the ripe sweetness of freshly sliced watermelon, the warm rays of the sun on a lazy tanning day by the pool and the endless hours of day- light. But the summer also brings an excess supply of critters and creatures lurking be- neath shrubbery, waiting to slither over your foot or bite at exposed flesh. The Fort Worth Nature Center and Ref- uge recently collaborated with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to capture and relocate a 10-foot alligator from Eagle Mountain Lake, a man-made reservoir north of Fort Worth. The 291-pound Ameri- can alligator, which is smaller for the spe- cies, was named Big Dude. It took a team of four to safely drag Big Dude from the lake and away from the dock where concerned neighbors reported he was lurking. He was tagged for ongoing research and monitoring, and is now safely swimming in less recre- ational waters, according to TPWD. We don’t know Big Dude, but we’d like to think he’s a sweet guy, and we hope he’s happy. Though we don’t have nearly as many crocodilian sightings as the Florida Ever- glades or the Louisiana Bayou, the American alligator is native to North Texas and swims up and down the Trinity River, though that fact will surprise nearly every out-of-towner. You’re not likely to stumble upon a Trin- ity River gator, but if you were to see one, the time is nigh. According to the TPWD, in the spring and summer, alligators are on the move, looking for new habitats and mating options. They say if the alligator is minding its own business, wait a couple of days, or even a week, before you dial 311 for animal control, they’re probably just moving through. It goes without saying, but alligators can easily kill a human being. There’s no room for debate, gorilla vs. 100 men style, the alli- gator is winning. So if you do have a close encounter with an alligator, count your blessings. “If you have a close encounter with an al- ligator a few yards away, back away slowly,” reads the TWPD webpage on North Texas gators. “It is extremely rare for wild alliga- tors to chase people, but they can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances on land. Never make the mistake of thinking that an alligator is slow and lethargic. Alliga- tors are extremely quick and agile and will defend themselves when cornered.” Hunting, feeding or relocating an alliga- tor without a permit is a crime in Texas. So in summation, if you see an alligator in one of Dallas’ pockets of fresh water, wait a cou- ple of days, don’t go for a swim and defi- nitely don’t harm them. If the presence of gators was newfound knowledge for you, get ready, because Texas has a lot more in store for you than just the descendants of dinosaurs. While gators are in their peak migratory season, we’re also coming off the back of peak snake season. “While you are out, keep in mind that if it feels really good to you, it probably feels re- ally good for a lot of wild animals,” reads a sheet from Dallas Park and Recreation De- partment titled Snake Season Is Upon Us. “That, of course, includes snakes.” The good news is that snakes don’t like it when the temperature rises above 90, so you won’t see them outside midday very often, which is relatable. The bad news is that they are out and about when the temperatures cool and visibility is lower. The worst news is that the most common snake in Dallas, per the city’s sheet, is the Texas rat snake, and it only lives in areas with lots of rats. So if you happen to see a brown spotted 5-foot snake around your house, you may want to call up the exter- minator. Tell him he’s got two fish to fry. The Park and Recreation Department flagged four species of venomous snakes in the Dallas area. Copperheads (the Southern copperhead in East Dallas and the broad banded copperhead in West Dallas), the western diamondback rattlesnake, cotton- mouths and the extremely venomous Texas coral snake. When it comes to encountering one of these four snakes, the city of Dallas says it best and in all caps, so we’ll leave it to them. “Just DON’T MESS WITH THEM,” reads their flyer. “So, how do you avoid hav- ing an issue with a snake? Simple, LEAVE THEM ALONE and BACK UP. A surprising number of bites occur when people are try- ing to kill or otherwise handle snakes. If you have a dog, the BEST thing you can do is KEEP IT ON A LEASH AND IN YOUR CONTROL.” Good luck, Dallasites. Based on the humidity that has lingered for the entirety of this unusually rainy sum- mer, you would think this was Houston. We’re grateful it’s not, especially after this trial run that made our city feel a bit swamp- ish. Adding insult to injury is the mass swarm of mosquitoes that has descended upon Dallas. The city announces that it’s spraying a new section of Dallas for West Nile Virus just about every week, sometimes several times a week. “Dallas residents are urged to take pre- cautions against mosquito bites by reducing outdoor activity during the evening and nighttime hours,” reads each city press re- lease announcing a new zone to be sprayed. The city has announced a new spray site 26 times since June 30. “Residents who are outside during these times should cover their arms and legs and use a mosquito re- pellent.” In the same but less annoying vein, the North Texas tarantula population is about to have a baby boom, and the usually burrowed arachnids will be in the streets, looking for a mate. Texas has 14 native tarantula species, and the most popular in North Texas, ac- cording to a report from NBC 5, is the Texas brown tarantula, which can have a leg span up to 5 inches. The female spiders will lay up to 1,000 eggs. Though they are fear-in- ducing, they’re harmless. So these guys should be the least of your wildlife concerns. Finally, we have a “substantial” number of bobcats, and the city describes sightings as “quite common.” But bobcats pose no real risk to humans or pets, so seeing one feels more like being chosen rather than staring death in the face. Dallas does not trap, re- move or relocate bobcats or any wildlife, so if you do see a bobcat, wave to your new neighbor from a great distance. All in all, consider staying indoors, and if you simply insist on trekking outside, take some bug repellent and closed-toed shoes. ▼ EDUCATION THE PRICE OF XENOPHOBIA UNT COULD LOSE NEARLY $50 MILLION FROM DIP IN INTERNATIONAL ENROLLMENT. BY EMMA RUBY N orth Texas universities have become a hub for international students in the years since the COVID-19 pan- demic, reaching an all-time high last school year after growing foreign enrollment 22% from the year before. However, recent changes made by the Trump administration to the visa process used for admitting inter- national students to U.S. institutions could impede that growth. The University of North Texas, the Uni- versity of Texas at Dallas and the University of Texas at Arlington are the Lone Star State’s three most international universities, according to the 2024 Open Doors report on international educational exchange, hosting 39,000 foreign students total. According to a recent report by NAFSA, the association of international educators, between 30-40% fewer international stu- dents are expected to sign up for classes in the United States in the upcoming school year, resulting in a 15% overall drop in en- rollment and totalling $7 billion in lost reve- nue. As public universities begin to publish their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, it’s clear that North Texas schools are brac- ing for the financial hit that a dip in interna- tional enrollment would bring. A draft of the University of North Texas’ budget for the upcoming fiscal year shows that decreases in international enrollment are expected to cost the university $47.3 million. The budget states that international students are a lucrative faction of the stu- dent body at public universities because they pay out-of-state tuition rates and typi- cally receive lower financial aid packages. According to university officials, interna- tional enrollment at UNT began dipping last school year, despite the growth recorded else- where, and is expected to continue to drop in the upcoming fall semester. In May, university President Harrison Keller told the Board of Regents that “different market issues and geo- political issues around visas” had already re- sulted in 1,300 fewer international students enrolled in UNT’s graduate programs, and an additional 25% decline has been projected for the fall 2025 term. “[The drop-off in enrollment] is not un- usual for UNT. When I talk to Unfair Park from p4 Lisa Yount/Unsplash Big Dude (not pictured) is actually a small dude for the American alligator species. >> p8
