AmericanAlligator_HuntingandWetlands_Lee_Rob_LubbockTX_12October2002_Reel2239.wav

Rob Lee [00:00:00] The reasons for the decline of both bald eagles and alligators were very directly human-caused.

Rob Lee [00:00:07] In the case of alligators, it was the drain of marshes and swamps, which is a lot of their habitat, and the actual killing of alligators. And it's one of the, one of the situations where humans killing an animal could actually lead to their decline.

Rob Lee [00:00:25] And we've proven that with the Carolina parakeet and the passenger pigeon. That can happen. We can, we can make them extinct if we want to. And we did with those two species.

Rob Lee [00:00:36] And alligators were headed in the same direction. Their, their hides, their meat, their skulls, and their teeth are all in demand by humans. We, we want to eat them. We want to adorn ourselves in them. And in some cases, we just don't like them, so we kill them. And that was happening with alligators. And we, we were the cause.

Rob Lee [00:00:56] But then we were also the solution. And that through the implementation and enforcement of wildlife laws, we were able to stem that tide of wholesale slaughter of alligators. We were also able to conserve some of the wetlands.

Rob Lee [00:01:12] And so they were able to come back and and they are no longer in danger of becoming extinct. I think their, their role and their place in our society is probably secure.