Catching An Alligator

It is sad that numerous species of alligators, after surviving 200 million years, are close to extinction. Even the Cajun people that are so dependable on those animals were not so aware about this problem until some time ago. However, the Swamp people proved to be cooperative once the authorities explained them the dangers. The results were amazing, and after ceasing the alligator hunting for a few years, the populations of alligators in Louisiana are now numerous and out of danger.

In the latest period, the most feared hunters became prey, and now they are in danger of extinction in so many regions of the world. Since the first civilizations, people had a feeling of fear and respect to crocodiles and alligators, and in some religions, they were considered gods. People were used to catch alligators since then. In the ancient Egypt, the most important priests and rulers were buried with mummified crocodiles to be protected on the Other World. While the Cajun people are hunting them for different reasons, the main methods used to catch the alligators remained the same.

In the latest decades, people hunted and killed the crocodiles, and we are not only talking about the Swamp people. This alligator hunting spree was because the crocodiles represented a danger for the domestic animals, and they were also a great source of food. While the Cajun people are only hunting those animals for their needs, other people are killing hundreds of animals for their skin. The Swamp people tried to warn the authorities repeatedly about the endangered species, but since the crocodile leather became popular, the alligator hunting process could not be stopped.

However, the problem of crocodile extinction was not only present in the Cajun area. On the contrary, the problem with the Swamp people almost disappeared, and the increasing populations of crocodiles in Louisiana allow alligator hunting without endangering the species.

The numbers are amazing: after some estimation, only in the South America, one million crocodiles are killed yearly. The Nile crocodile is almost extinct, especially in the Nordic side. It is believed that no gavial crocodile can be found in the wilderness in India. Luckily, this interesting specie of crocodile is protected in captivity.

The crocodiles from the Cajun area and other areas of the world are protected now, but despite the popularity of the protecting environment methods, the traffic with crocodile skin can’t be stopped easily. Even some of the Swamp people are practicing alligator hunting illegally, although obtaining a license is not so hard. The price for the crocodile skin is so big that poor people from South America are willing to risk their lives to catch an animal of this kind. Those people are also killing any kind of crocodile, whether it is a female, a baby, or an old crocodile. The consequences on the long term are hard to quantify. It is our responsibility to protect them, and you should think twice before catching an alligator. The risks involved are huge, and you might also affect the environment.

To find out more about Swamp People on History Channel Click Here.