GATORS UP CLOSE
Stories and photos by Tim Cohrs
Preserve offers ‘snap’ shot of reptiles’ lives Photo package by Preston Wooten and Tim Cohrs PAGE 12 • SPRING 2021
A park worker dangles a piece of string with a weight on the end and hits the floating gator on its nose. After a minute or so, the gator lifts its head, opens its mouth wide to reveal rows of sharp teeth and snaps its giant jaws closed before disappearing back under the water, as the watching crowd cheers. This is part of the daily show routine at Gator Country Adventure Park located just outside Beaumont, Texas. The park, founded in 2005, is home to more that 450 rescued and/or donated American alligators, snakes, lizards, tor-
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