Florida's Alligators
Alligators are part of what makes Florida unique. Learning to respect and protect these animals is nothing less than essential.

Not long ago hunting devastated Florida's alligator population until they were given federal protection in the 1970s. Today, alligators remain vulnerable to human exploitation. Though large in size, alligators are not by instinct aggressive toward humans, and actually have a natural fear of humans.
Alligators play an important role in Florida's ecosystem. They build ponds and nests in wetlands that create habitat for a wide variety of life. For example, the Florida Red-bellied turtle incubates her eggs in `alligator holes,' an important source of water in the dry season.

Alligators have complex social behavior, including elaborate courtship displays. The bellowing of courting alligators resonates throughout swamps in the spring. Recent studies on alligator social behavior have found a complexity in these animals' ability to communicate vocally and visually (through a complex series of body postures). Baby alligators stay with their mothers for as long as two years. Female alligators are very protective of their nests. These unique animals descended from crocodilians who have existed for about 150 million years and can live to be 35 years old in the wild.

The four main threats to alligators are human encroachment on habitat, hunting, farming, and alligator wrestling. These are discussed below, followed by some suggestions as to what you can do to help alligators.
Human Encroachment into Alligator Habitat

The greatest threat to alligators today comes from human encroachment into their habitat. Wildlife know no boundaries. When people and animals live closely together it is usually the wildlife that suffers. Created in 1947, the Everglades National Park was established in part to preserve alligator (and other animals’) habitat, but real problems continue to beset this landscape. Continuing pressures associated with urbanization, industry and agriculture require a constant search for additional solutions. A burgeoning human population thirsts for the same water that animals need to survive.
Today, 900 people move to Florida daily; 39 million people vacation here some years; 12 million come in winter's dry season as water supplies naturally drop. The historic Everglades -- four-fifths lies outside the park -- feels this population pressure. Only California, New York, and Texas today outstrip Florida in population. Florida's daily population increase of 900 residents creates new demands to supply 200,000 more gallons of freshwater every day. Added square miles of building and paving reduce rainwater penetration into aquifers, the water-bearing layers below ground that store water that wells may tap. So human development not only directly reduces available alligator habitat, it also strains precious water resources they need to survive.

Hunting
During Florida's month long public alligator hunt, each hunter is allowed to kill up to five alligators.

Alligators are hunted in darkness on lakes and other waterways in Florida using bright lights, bait and a variety of weapons. Harpoons, consisting of a sharp, penetrating point attached to a restraining line, are the most popular weapon for hunting alligators, although a three-prong "snatch" hook used with a fishing rod, baited wooden pegs, and bows are also common.
After being harpooned or hooked, the unfortunate alligator is fought to exhaustion, drawn close to the boat, and killed by lowering his/her head beneath the water and firing a bangstick. Hunters describe how, upon firing of the bangstick, "blood colors the water a cloudy red."
Regulations state that alligators must be killed before being dragged into a boat, but alligators are extremely difficult to kill. The improper placement and discharge of the bangstick frequently just renders the alligator temporarily unconscious. Without having the spinal cord severed and the brain destroyed, the alligator can be left to suffer long after being pulled from the water.

Alligator Farming
Alligators are raised for their skin and flesh on “alligator farms" in the southern United States. The farming of alligators began after the discovery at some of Florida's earliest roadside zoos that alligators breed successfully in captivity. Today, in Louisiana, Florida and other southern states, close to 200 farms raise alligators from eggs to slaughter. In Florida, tens of thousands of these magnificent animals are slaughtered each year.
Alligators on farms live for years in often dirty, crowded and highly unnatural conditions in concrete or metal tanks. Disease and fighting among alligators raised for slaughter are commonplace.

Slaughter on an alligator farm is inhumane. The farmer decides which methods will be used to kill the animals. They may be clubbed with hammers or shot. Sometimes axes or sharp wedges are used to sever the spinal cord. Although not able to move about, the alligator may still be alive and semi-conscious when skinning begins. The bangstick, a firearm also used in hunting alligators, was developed as a result of many alligators at processing facilities being skinned while still breathing, their eyes open, fully conscious.

The alligator industry is attempting to introduce alligator products into mainstream markets.

Alligator Wrestling

Alligator wrestling is among the cruelest of Florida's attractions. Alligator wrestlers perform at roadside tourist stops or fairs across the country. The shows are billed as "Man vs. Gator," a contest in which the odds are stacked against the alligator. One thing is certain: alligators are never willing participants in the spectacle.

At the height of the tourist season, attractions may put on as many as two dozen shows a day. Many alligator shows frequently acquire new, "fresh" alligators, and send to slaughter those animals who have grown accustomed to being handled.

Alligator wrestling acts begin when the animal is dragged by the tail into the center of the ring. What follows next varies. Some wrestlers jump or climb onto the alligator's back, putting pressure with both hands on the animal’s neck, forcing his or her head down. Others force the mouth closed with one hand, and attempt to flip the animal. This ends with the overturned alligator losing consciousness. Another trick is to cover the alligator's eyes with one hand, which causes the animal to stop fighting. To conclude, a hard rap on the nose makes the alligator open his mouth and show the audience his teeth.

It is wrong to hold wild animals in captivity for entertainment and profit. Alligator shows are not educational. In Canada, alligator wrestling promoters have been brought to court on animal cruelty charges. Israel outlawed alligator wrestling in 1997.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ALLIGATORS:
· Never buy products made from alligators, and speak out against the sale of alligator meat or skin.
· Conserve water! This helps all wildlife.
· Boycott alligator farms, like GatorLand in Orlando, which operate as tourist attractions, with gift shops selling souvenirs and sometimes offering alligator wrestling, and explain to your friends and family why you’re doing so.
· Speak out against the killing of alligators for sport!
· Stay a safe distance away from alligators you see in the wild. As with all wildlife, look but don’t touch! Don’t risk instigating an incident that may result in the alligator being removed and killed.
· Contact ARFF to find out when our next pro-alligator demo is!
· Make a generous donation to ARFF to support our pro-alligator education efforts.