Why We Don’t Feed the Wildlife

Alligators are beautiful creatures and an important part of the ecosystem here in Louisiana. Their population is carefully managed by the state and this management provides local hunters with a renewable source of income. Because of increased tourism, development and waterfront homes, these alligators are forced more and more to interact with humans.

Every other swamp tour operator within 1.5 hours of New Orleans feeds alligators daily, using chicken or marshmallows. These are not part of their natural diet and as they are regularly fed they begin to rely on us for food. This is dangerous for us and for them.

When fed, alligators can overcome their natural wariness and learn to associate people with food. When this happens, some of these alligators have to be removed and killed. They can also become aggressive with people and their pets.

Naturally, alligators are scared of humans and will avoid us, but after years of feeding, some may become more confident and aggressive, leading to incidents that endanger them and us. Please don’t support swamp tour operators that feed the wildlife. Its an unethical practice done purely for increased profit and having everlasting effects on our ecosystems.