Christopher Gillette on Instagram: "Where did Casper come from?? He’s a wild caught nuisance alligator, a rescue nuisance gator in fact! Casper was caught by Paul just a few inches shorter than he is now. Typically nuisance gators are caught and killed. Between seven and eight THOUSAND per year. This is why it’s so important to NEVER feed wild gators, even babies. Once fed they lose their fear of humans and come too close. Once an alligator is deemed to be dangerous to people, pets, or livestock, or end up in places they’re not supposed to be, it is labeled as a nuisance alligator. By law, nuisance alligators either must be destroyed or kept in captivity if over 4ft. They cannot be relocated or released back into the wild, due to their incredible homing ability (they’ll often try to return to the place they were caught). ~~~You can come swim with me and Casper! If you want to come join you can book online now, go to www.crocodilechris.com Let me know if you want to go! Observation and photos only at @evergladesoutpost and tour participants are separated from gators by safety fence. Remember all the gators you see me working with are rescue nuisance gators, caught from the wild as big as you see them now! The state kills 7k-8k each year. We volunteer our time to catch & rescue them and bring them to sanctuaries, unpaid. Wetsuit by @cressi1946 #glades #southflorida #Miami #glades #reptile #reptilesofinstagram #underwaterphotography #gatortour #underwatergatortour #thingstodoinmiami #subaruambassador" | Zootzle
