We have been getting more and more interest in the Meet the Keeper talk/ Alligator feeding recently. I would like to think it is because people are so curious in our last living dinosaur. I have come to realize that some people just want to see if I will keep all of my fingers this week. Well this will be a 2 part blog about Alligators with lots of facts and some funny. If you want the full experience you will just have to come out one Sunday and see for yourself. Please call ahead, sometimes the alligators are not hungry. The giftshop staff will be able to tell you Sunday morning by 9am whether or not their will be a feeding. The next one is scheduled for July 29th. Mention this blog during the feeding for your very own alligator tooth!
I once read an article by a lady named Anne Boone of Hollywood, SC. It was possibly the worst thing I had ever read. She began the article by saying she was "an almost fanatical animal lover" and then she listed the 3 or 4 animals she liked, which to her credit included one slimy creature - frogs. Most of her list was cute and fuzzy. She then listed the rest of the animals, not cute and cuddly, that should in her mind be eradicated from the earth. Now of course I am taking some creative licence in describing her thoughts, because I do not know what they really are, but that is how I felt after reading her words. Her particular hatred of Alligators scared me to death. She believes that she should be allowed to "shoot an alligator that is on her property" as well I suppose as any venomous snake that happens to pass through as well. She boasted she had disposed of a Cottonmouth in such a way. I am sure that some of you agree with her. I am also sure that if alligators could think like this, the one on her property was saying, "I don't understand why I can't just shoot any humans that happen on my property." (My boss is cringing right now if he's reading this. ) After all, I wonder who really owned it first. I understand that not everyone thinks it is as cool as I do that you live in such a fabulous place that wild animals still feel safe there. I will try hard not to be too judgemental. This lady lives on the inter coastal waterway in one of the last few remaining wooded and rural places around Charleston. I would ask her, " Ma'am where are they supposed to go?" It seems not even nature preserves are a good enough answer, because she was highly upset to find an alligator sunning along the path at Caw Caw Interpretive Center. (Located on Hwy 17 S just outside of Ravenel. Go Caw Caw!) Wow! I would have loved to have heard the thoughts of the guy she protested to. If I try really hard, I can understand the fear. For most people it is fear brought about by lack of information or too much misinformation. I don't think we should fear them, but have a healthy respect for them. I don't think we should hate them, but look at them in awe. They are very strong. The armor plated hide and their muscles make up 80% of their body weight. They can exert over 1300 pounds of PSI or more with their jaws depending on their size. They can move faster than some of us couch potatoes at 11mph for short bursts. Really short bursts... they are extremely lazy and tire rapidly. They can hold their breaths much longer than we can, as one awfully cruel experimenter boasted a record 6 hours. Typically though, these animals are not dangerous to humans. Every alligator feeding we prove just how lazy alligators are by dropping a chicken leg-quarter in front of our 13 ft male, respectfully called Boss, and he refuses to make the effort to pick it up.
Part 2- next post until then,
Life's A Swamp
I once read an article by a lady named Anne Boone of Hollywood, SC. It was possibly the worst thing I had ever read. She began the article by saying she was "an almost fanatical animal lover" and then she listed the 3 or 4 animals she liked, which to her credit included one slimy creature - frogs. Most of her list was cute and fuzzy. She then listed the rest of the animals, not cute and cuddly, that should in her mind be eradicated from the earth. Now of course I am taking some creative licence in describing her thoughts, because I do not know what they really are, but that is how I felt after reading her words. Her particular hatred of Alligators scared me to death. She believes that she should be allowed to "shoot an alligator that is on her property" as well I suppose as any venomous snake that happens to pass through as well. She boasted she had disposed of a Cottonmouth in such a way. I am sure that some of you agree with her. I am also sure that if alligators could think like this, the one on her property was saying, "I don't understand why I can't just shoot any humans that happen on my property." (My boss is cringing right now if he's reading this. ) After all, I wonder who really owned it first. I understand that not everyone thinks it is as cool as I do that you live in such a fabulous place that wild animals still feel safe there. I will try hard not to be too judgemental. This lady lives on the inter coastal waterway in one of the last few remaining wooded and rural places around Charleston. I would ask her, " Ma'am where are they supposed to go?" It seems not even nature preserves are a good enough answer, because she was highly upset to find an alligator sunning along the path at Caw Caw Interpretive Center. (Located on Hwy 17 S just outside of Ravenel. Go Caw Caw!) Wow! I would have loved to have heard the thoughts of the guy she protested to. If I try really hard, I can understand the fear. For most people it is fear brought about by lack of information or too much misinformation. I don't think we should fear them, but have a healthy respect for them. I don't think we should hate them, but look at them in awe. They are very strong. The armor plated hide and their muscles make up 80% of their body weight. They can exert over 1300 pounds of PSI or more with their jaws depending on their size. They can move faster than some of us couch potatoes at 11mph for short bursts. Really short bursts... they are extremely lazy and tire rapidly. They can hold their breaths much longer than we can, as one awfully cruel experimenter boasted a record 6 hours. Typically though, these animals are not dangerous to humans. Every alligator feeding we prove just how lazy alligators are by dropping a chicken leg-quarter in front of our 13 ft male, respectfully called Boss, and he refuses to make the effort to pick it up.
Part 2- next post until then,
Life's A Swamp
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