Night has fallen in Louisiana’s Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge and it’s go time for Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. Co-Host Peter Gros boards an airboat bound for the heart of the swamp. There, with a light shined down the waterways, Peter catches his first glimpse of alligators after dark.
“You just see these rows of red eyes,” Peter said. “It looked like a landing strip. It was alligators lined up, waiting for prey to come to the water’s edge.”
Peter and Co-Host Jim Fowler were filming the 1985 classic series episode, “Operation Alligator.” Forty years later, Peter returned to film alligators for Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild’s “Graduation Day for a Gator” and saw firsthand how much alligator conservation has changed since that first experience.
Peter shares the remarkable story of alligator conservation and how filming these reptiles has evolved in the past four decades.
Why alligators are important to their habitat
At the time of filming “Operation Alligator,” American alligators were protected by the Endangered Species Act.
“This is a prehistoric animal that has such a positive influence on its environment that we could not let it become extinct,” Peter said.
Alligators are known as ecosystem engineers, meaning their presence (or lack thereof) greatly affects the surrounding habitat. They primarily live in brackish water, where fresh rivers meet saltwater estuaries. This habitat is full of algae blooms and stagnant water.
But, as alligators move around the water, their movement helps open up algae jams, allowing for a natural flushing of fresh water and keeping the marsh healthy.
“Marshes are incredible breeding grounds for literally thousands of species of fish and birds that come there and call them home,” Peter said. “And if it weren’t for the alligators keeping it healthy, it would affect those populations as well.”
Alligators aren’t just an iconic species of the marsh; they are a keystone species — a must-have animal to keep habitat healthy for other animals too.
“We sometimes get asked, well what if we just don’t live with this species?” Peter said. “All species are dependent upon each other for survival. This is a case of a prehistoric animal. It has not changed for millions of years.”
How alligator populations rebounded
After being listed as an endangered species in 1966, American alligators were under federal protection with habitat set aside for their recovery. Public awareness campaigns and television shows like Wild Kingdom spread messages about how alligators help their environment.
Finally, captive breeding tremendously helped alligators rebound. Collecting eggs and allowing them to hatch in an incubator, proved very successful. The baby alligators were then released back to the wild, helping rebuild populations.
By 1987, American alligators were taken off the endangered species list.
Wild Kingdom episodes show alligator conservation change
While filming “Operation Alligator” Peter helped the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries with alligator egg retrieval. The team approached a mother alligator’s nest and researchers collected the eggs.
“In the ‘80s, it was a lot more hands-on,” Peter said. “I took my marching orders and ended up standing there with a very long pole trying to push the alligator back in order for them to collect the eggs.”
Data collection was also very hands-on. Peter reached into the water with a paddle to grab an alligator out and onto the boat. After putting rubber bands around its mouth, researchers took the alligator’s measurements, weight and collected other data before releasing it back to the wild.
“It was all very hands-on back then and there was a lot of grabbing, jumping on the back of an alligator. It was very physical,” Peter said. “They actually described it as wrestling an alligator.”
“That’s simply the way research was done back then. We always did our homework and we worked with biologists and researchers who would share with what they were doing. We would then go along and assist them and do what we could to help.”
Learn more how animal conservation and filming have changed over the years.
Alligator conservation today
Technology has changed the game for alligator conservation. Today, researchers use drones to collect eggs.
“The drone flying nearby is an unusual sound and the mother slips off the water near the nest,” Peter said. “Then, they can collect the eggs with the drone and fly it back.”
Drones are also used with filming, allowing production to zoom in on wildlife from a safe distance. Gone are the days of shooting from a blind. Today, drones and long lenses capture close-up shots safely.
In the episode, “Graduation Day for a Gator,” Peter and Co-Host Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant help researchers collect data on an alligator. But the process is much different than in the classic episode.
“One of the biologists would cast a barbless hook out and drag it along the bottom where they saw bubbles,” Peter said. “We would then help them pull on the line and once it was up on shore and exhausted, we would assist with data collection. It’s much less real physical contact with the alligator.”
“The less human contact there is with wildlife the better it is because we want them to maintain their fear of humans.”
American alligator facts
American alligators are here to stay. Get to know the species with these fun facts.
- Alligators lay 50 to 60 eggs. The sex of each egg is determined by incubation heat. Warmer temperatures produce a different sex than cooler.
- Over the course of their lifetime, alligators have 3,000 teeth. As a tooth breaks off or wears down, a new tooth comes in to replace it.
- China has alligators that look similar to American alligators. They’re both in the alligator genus.
- Alligators live around 50 years in the wild and 70-80 years in captivity.
- They don’t hibernate. Instead, they enter brumation, which is a dormant state during cold weather.
What to do if you encounter an alligator
Traveling to the South? Keep these tips in mind if you see an alligator.
- Alligators are very common on golf courses in Florida. Peter says, “my wildlife expert recommendation is to take a mulligan. If your ball is near an alligator, let him have it.”
- Never swim where alligators are.
- If you find an alligator in your yard, keep your distance. Keep your pets inside. And call your local animal control or wildlife group to help.
Learn more about alligator conservation with the University of Georgia
