Menasha Public Library (Elisha D. Smith)

Gator country, deception, danger, and alligators in the Everglades, Rebecca Renner

eng

mapsplatesillustrations

no index present

non fiction

Gator country

1355011939

Rebecca Renner

deception, danger, and alligators in the Everglades

"David Grann meets Susan Orlean in this page-turning true story of an underground operation into the mysterious world of alligator poaching and its larger than life Floridian characters. To catch a Florida Man, you have to become one, and that's what Officer Jeff Babauta did. As his ponytailed, whiskey-soaked alter ego, he established Sunshine Alligator Farm. His goal? Infiltrate the shady world of illegal poachers in the Florida Everglades in order to protect the natural world. A head-spinning adventure soon unfolds. Jeff deals with glow-in-the-dark alligators and high-speed airboat rides, but quickly learns that not all poachers are villains. They're simply people trying to survive, fighting against the poverty and greed holding them down. Jeff wants to solve the mystery of alligator poachers, and in doing so he must venture deeper into a strange ecosystem where right is wrong, and justice comes at the cost of those who've welcomed him into their world. Gator Country is the twisting true story of the impossible choices individuals must make to stay afloat in this world. Through its wholly unique blend of reporting, nature writing, and personal narrative, this book transports readers to vibrant and dangerous Florida landscapes and offers intimate portraits of those who call the region home. Broad in scope and vivid in detail, Gator Country is a fast paced tale of the risks people will take to survive in one of the world's most beautiful yet formidable landscapes and the undercover investigation that threatens to topple the whole scheme"--, Provided by publisher

Introduction: Operation Alligator Thief -- The chase -- The call -- Soft shell -- This is gator country -- Becoming Blackledge -- Alligator Mississippiensis -- Mermaid ivory -- Golden eggs -- The inner circle -- The ballad of Peg Brown -- The hook -- The first egg hunt -- Alone in the swamp -- Suspension of disbelief -- Backup -- Hatching season-- On the road -- The golden egg sheet -- The mongoose -- Epilogue

adult

Deception, danger, and alligators in the Everglades