As the executive director of the Colorado Reptile Humane Society and as someone who has spent more than 20 years caring for reptiles, I was dismayed—yet not at all surprised—to hear of the attack on an employee by an alligator at Scales and Tails in Utah, which uses these animals as props for children’s birthday parties.
PETA’s assertions about the ways that alligators suffer in tourist attractions — and the dangers that such displays pose to animals, employees, and the public — are absolutely correct. Alligators are intelligent and athletic apex predators. An alligator’s bite-force is nearly identical to the pressure of the weight of a small pick-up truck if you were stuck beneath the vehicle. They need space to swim, explore, and search for food, and the freedom to choose a mate and raise their families. When kept in cramped, barren tanks and put on display, it’s no wonder that these animals become frustrated and lash out.
Hand-feeding these powerful animals also sends an extremely dangerous message to the public—particularly impressionable children—misleading people into believing that it’s safe to approach alligators they encounter outdoors. The consequences can be fatal for both humans and alligators, and such animals are killed by the thousands every year because they have lost their natural fear of humans.
The narrow escape at Scales and Tails should be a wake-up call. Confining and displaying these animals is dangerous, irresponsible, and cruel. The facility should immediately relinquish Darth Gator and other animals to reputable facilities that can provide them with species-appropriate habitats and care.
Ann-Elizabeth (AE) Nash, Longmont, Colo.
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