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.
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