5 Things You Didn’t Know About the History of Louisiana Alligators
- In the 1800s, people in Louisiana began harvesting alligators for their skins to make boots, shoes and saddles, and for their oil to grease cotton mills and steam engines.
- Companies in New York, New Jersey and Europe began commercially tanning Louisiana alligator skins to make the skins softer, more durable and more flexible.
- In the mid 1900s, the alligator population in Louisiana began to dwindle. In 1962, the Louisiana seasonal alligator hunting season was cancelled due to the reduction in alligator population.
- With correct hunting management, Louisiana raised the alligator population and reopened hunting season.
- Louisiana’s alligator harvests now exceed 300,000 alligators per year.
There is no end to the number of things you can learn in a Louisiana swamp. Alligators are a source of fascination for people, both locally and internationally. We’ve been pleasantly surprised to find out that so many people really do want to learn more about Louisiana alligators.