Alligators are not indigenous to TN and when they are sighted it's almost invariably because humans brought them here, not nature. The TN Wildlife Resources professionals suspect this she-gator was a Florida transplant that was let go when she became too large and uncontrollable. On Tuesday she-gator was located in the tailwaters of Watts Bar Lake (a TVA managed lake). Because she-gator is not a native, she was euthanized after being hooked and lassoed by a wildlife biologist. She-gator was taken to a taxidermist and her hide will be used as a display for educational purposes. Some thoughts on she-gators unfortunate fate:
---Historically TN's climate was too cold to support a reproducing population but temperatures are arising and quite possibly she-gator migrated on her own (I would too if I came from Florida); did wildlife professionals mess with alligator population dynamics? Humans versus nature, humans "win" at Watts Bar.
---The theme song of every environmental education program in the future should be Lynyrd Skynyrd's All I Can Do Is Right It In A Song. This is a song that touched me the first time I heard it while living in Habersham County, Georgia. Now and since it makes me reflect on a world where we are increasingly detached from our natural treasures and outdoor amenities. If you aren't familiar with the song (you should be), here are some lyrics: Did you ever see a she-gator protect her youngins or the fish in a river swimmin free... Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina or the sweetness of the grass in Tennessee... And lord I can't make any changes, All I can do is write 'em in a song... Cus I can see the concrete a slowly creepin, Lord take me and mine before that comes... Like to see the mountain stream a flowing... Do you like to see a youngin with his dog... Did you ever stop and think about well the air you're breathing... Well you better listen to my song
I hadn't caught the whole gator story - at the conference one presentation talked about how global warming could make tropical diseases move north (malaria in FLA?) Heck, the TN Valley might become our own inland tropic.
ReplyDelete... off to look up the song...
M3 Prisoner in the cube next door.