Return of the American Alligator

“There was a time when alligators had come so close to extinction that their critical link in the ecosystem could have been lost forever. Georgia’s alligator population first began to plummet in the mid-1960s, according to Steve Ruckel, who served as the state alligator biologist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources up until 1995. The cause for decline was habitat loss and poaching. Georgia’s hunting seasons were also beginning to take a toll on the species. By 1973, the vast alligator population was almost totally depleted, and serious action was needed. The American Alligator was listed as endangered on both the state and federal endangered species list. Alligators remained on Georgia’s protected species list until 1984. The protection during this time allowed the species time to recover. By the late 1970s, the species was well on its way to recovery, and by the 1980s, the population really boomed.”

Excerpt from The Okefenokee Swamp by the Georgia Wildlife Federation.

Georgia Wildlife Federation. The Okefenokee Swamp. Natural Georgia Series, Volume 6, Number 1. Georgia Wildlife Press, 1997. Page 13.