Alligators and humans

I do have some great pictures of alligators taken with a long lens. This post, however is about CBS Early Show. I just watched a segment done by their weatherman in Baton Rouge, LA. It appeared to be broadcast from some type of tourist trap where they feed captive alligators chicken to amuse the visitors. Little natural history education was taking place...instead they showed this loud fellow throwing chicken pieces into the open mouths of the gators. I felt this was a terrible example to set for viewers, so I wrote to WINK-TV management and asked them to contact the key executives and producers by forwarding my email with my thoughts about how outrageously irresponsible the network was in showing this segment. I suggested they send along all the news story footage in recent years about alligator attacks (which include multiple human deaths.) Feeding alligators is not only illegal in Florida, it can be life threatening. It puts other humans at risk as well as the alligator and further disrupts nature.

The entire segment made feeding these animals seem like a "fun" thing to do.

I can only hope CBS and the Early Show get the message.

Butterfly orchid rescue

We are blessed or should I say were blessed with a Florida native orchid called a butterfly orchid in our yard. I discovered the plant one day when outside waiting for the dog to get on with the morning ritual. Every June it bloomed and I would photograph it. I had to use a ladder to get close. Hurricane Wilma did beat the orchid up a lot, so I wasn't surprised that it didn't bloom this June. However, a week ago, during my almost daily check of the plant I noticed it was GONE!
Fortunately it wasn't really gone but it was in dire straits. I rescued it yesterday and hope to save it and put it back onto a pond cypress tree.
Here is the rescued orchid atop a section of a pine tree that crashed down from a previous storm It fell on top of the native and endangered bromeliads almost crushing them. You can see some of these plants as well.