Florida Gator Hunt Begins

Gators living in a Florida wildlife refuge better watch out because hunters waiting for a decade will be allowed to kill these reptiles in a guided hunt starting Friday evening, according to wildlife officials.

For the first time, a group of 11 hunters will get the chance to kill two alligators each in the 150-acre Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, one of the last remaining pieces of the Florida Everglades, between mid-August and early October.

Animal rights activists plan to stage protests at the entry to the park on Friday night when the hunters arrive.

While this hunt may seem excessive, research and population numbers indicate that hunting is actually a requirement of a federal refuge.

Florida has held alligator hunts in parts of the state since 1988 to help curb growing populations, however this hunt will be the first inside the wildlife sanctuary, a topic that's been up for debate for the last decade.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officer Amanda Phillips adds that there is also the issue of safety.

"We don't want to get into that particular situation where we have an abundance of alligators. That wouldn't be good for the general public," Phillips told WPTV.

Hunters are only allowed to search for gators at night to avoid run-ins with bird watchers or hikers. The FWC requires that they be killed hooked or ensnared then killed with a bangstick, a pole that shoots a shotgun shell or bullet into the animal's brain.

And the FWC points out that these are licensed hunters, not just anyone off the street with a gun.

"There won't be any people out there shooting with pistols or rifles," Rolf Olson, a refuge official with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) told Reuters.

American alligators, a member of the crocodile family, can be found in the freshwater rivers, lakes, swamps, and marshes of the southeastern United States - primarily Florida and Louisiana - National Geographic reports. Males average 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.6 meters) in length and can weigh 1,000 pounds. This ancient species used to be endangered, and now has not only recovered but is thriving. Recent surveys of the refuge pegged the alligator population between 2,000 and 3,000, and Olson said removing less than two dozen would have a limited effect.

"We're going into this very slow, not rushing anything," he told Reuters.