People around the world have condemned the “canned lion” hunts in Africa where lions are raised just to be killed by hunters for a fee. Right here in America, crimes against alligators are in many ways even worse than the canned lion hunts.
Lee Lightsey, owner of “Outwest Farms” in Okeechobee, Florida, runs an operation of alligator hunting, which should never have been allowed in the first place. On his web site, according to Lightsey, Florida alligators can be killed year-round and with any weapon. What this means is that nesting female alligators are slaughtered along with undersized juvenile alligators. It’s as if Lightsey is raising alligators just to be cashed in to hunters.
The information on Lightsey’s web site has a price list of what he charges hunters for killing various sizes of alligators. The prices range from $550.00 for a 4 to 5-foot-long alligator to $10,000.00 for a 13 foot or longer alligator. It is also stated on the web site that Lightsey has killed over 5,000 alligators “bigger than 6-foot size”.
Sadistic and ignorant people who try to make a quick buck at the expense of innocent wild animals should be put out of business and held accountable for their crimes.
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The fish and wildlife agencies and all of the other governmental departments that are supposed to be protecting wildlife have been guilty of endorsing this kind of wholesale slaughter by allowing it to happen.
The alligator is a native American animal and should be respected for many reasons. These age-old survivors are being ruthlessly exterminated, and the so-called law is doing nothing about it. Just because alligators were taken off of the endangered species list is no excuse to allow this massacre.
Lee Lightsey wants the world to know that he slaughtered over 5,000 alligators “bigger than 6-foot size”. Many people have called Lee Lightsey a cowardly “animal murderer” who should have been stopped a long time ago. The fish and wildlife authorities of Florida, which already have a bad reputation, should also be held accountable for the injustices being inflicted unnecessarily upon alligators.
In order to change the antiquated hunting laws of this country and eliminate the corruption in the government and fish and wildlife agencies, all of the organizations that are legitimately involved in protecting wildlife should come together in defense of the alligator. This animal deserves a lot more respect than the criminals who are systematically exterminating it.
--Marlin O. Wallace |
