Alligators Make a Comeback

Because of decades of intensive hunting, as recently as the mid-1960’s the alligator was decreed to be rare and endangered. However, its comeback in the southeastern regions of the United States has been so remarkable that the reptiles now pose a threat to the growing human population.

Florida game agents handle as many as 18 complaints daily involving alligators that are chomping on family pets, sunbathing on golf courses, napping on highways, or wandering into residential areas. The consequences may be serious. Last year at least nine alligator attacks on humans were reported in Florida alone. One of these involved an eight-year-old who was attacked while squatting by a duck pond at Walt Disney World.

Commenting on the problem of the alligator’s indiscriminate eating habits, Captain Bob Poole of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission explains: “An alligator really doesn’t understand the difference between a human hand and a chicken wing.”

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Gatorama photos