THE TRIBUNE (Chandigarh, India) 12 July 05 American alligator that doesn’t bite

Chennai: She is an American baby who loves to be cuddled like a child. The only difference is she is an alligator.

But she is looking for help for her maintenance. The alligator was born captive in the Madras Crocodile Bank trust (MCBT), 50 km from here. In September she will be 3 years old.

Ally is 84-cm long and is the first captive born American alligator in India.

Though the Crocodile Bank is home to over 2500 crocodiles, Ally is special. The cute little youngster educates as well as entertains visitors.

Children cuddle her and touch her all over to know how an alligator differs from a crocodile.

Kundhavi Devi, education officer of MCBT, said, “She is a key attraction at all our education programmes. She lets visitors get up close and study her. She is very cool and calm and does not snap or bite.”

“So visitors, particularly children, get thrilled when they are allowed to hold a baby alligator in one hand and a baby crocodile in the other and compare and contrast.’’

American alligators are natives of south-east USA and inhabit the nine-million-acre Everglades wetlands of Florida. Though alligators are not an endangered species but the US law protects them in the areas they inhabit.

They can live up to the age of 60 years and females seldom exceed more than 9 feet in length, while males grow bigger. They breed in May-June and eggs incubate for 65 days.

The MCBT has 14 of the 23 crocodile species found in the world. ‘‘We aim to bring all 23 species here to make it a single window for nature enthusiasts who want to learn about crocodiles,’’ said Kundhavi Devi.
American alligator that doesn’t bite

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