Different than some may think, the American Alligator is not an endangered species on the brink of extinction. Thanks to local efforts, the process of harvesting and farming the alligator has resulted in a dramatic rebound of wild populations here in Louisiana and other southern states.

Studies have shown that harvesting alligator eggs dramatically increases their survival rate in the wild. The eggs are retrieved from nests in the wild and placed under special care in the local alligator farms. The eggs are then incubated, hatched, and given the opportunity to grow past the fragile stage of 1 year. The young alligators are then released back into their natural habitat. Louisiana highly regulates the population of our unique reptile. To govern this population, the state requires 17% of the eggs harvested return to the wild. That percentage is much higher than the natural survival rate of 3%.

We now have a thriving population in the bayous of Louisiana. Our efforts for conservation of this important resource has paid off. Balance within our ecosystem can be maintained naturally the way it was intended.

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