We are on Highway 41 that crosses Florida through the Everglades. Alligators are on various spots all along this road and we're only a third of the way across staying at an Everglades National Park campground (only one other camper here). Camping alongside of a lake I have two alligators along the shore less than 50 yards from camp. Yes, I am keeping 'gatorbait' inside the motor home. This photo above I was able to look right down upon him from the road. At one stop I had to look around and reassure myself I wasn't in some sort of tourist alligator farm as they were lying around as if in captivity. They weren't. They are all free range alligators.
The sad thing is gift shops and the tourist boat ride places have alligator heads of various sizes, skulls, teeth, alligator tooth necklaces, knives made from alligator bone, etc. As much as I'd like to head or tooth, I'm not buying any and supporting the killing of these magnificent reptiles.
I am happy with my pictures.
8 comments:
Nice picture of one. Better that they stay in the wild then used for the tourist industry.
Great they live without fences in the wild. Keep an eye on Sinbad, I think they would like to meet him!
You ought jump down there and wrassle a gator and get your own tooth!
Good job on not supporting the skull sellers.
glad mr. sinbad remains safely out of reach! :)
I remember heading down a pathway from the highway down there and coming upon a pond with mother gators and all kinds of babies. The mums were making soft little clucking sounds in an attempt to keep the babies under control. They were all wild animals too and it was wonderful to see.
Nice shot.
Great photo of the gator. I'm with you, I'd much rather see the photo of a wild one than part of his skeleton.
American alligators are not endangered in Florida. They are farmed though. However, American crocodiles are a threatened species in Florida.
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