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Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades
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53
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
25/100Critics
81/100Scholars
Author:
Rebecca Renner
Publisher:
Flatiron Books
Date:
November 14, 2023
A true story of an underground operation into the mysterious world of alligator poaching and its larger than life Floridian characters
What The Reviewers Say
Every species, and every person who fights for its continued existence, deserves a book like this — a book that explores the complexity of the nexus between humans and animals and the exploitation of the wild, and considers the ambiguities of our fractured relationship to nature, morality and history..
Renner has a dandy story and a great, mythic figure to hang it on: a poaching legend named Peg Brown, who hunted illegally in the late 20th century but whose poaching may have helped the environment. Renner also helps us understand that alligators are animals that can inspire fear, but ultimately deserve our thanks and care..
...brims with exhilarating tales of the denizens—both human and animal—that lurk in the saw grass, skunk cabbage and mangrove roots of the rapidly vanishing Everglades. The fast-paced narrative is imbued with the atmosphere of tension that shapes any good mystery story—but unlike other mysteries, Gator Country is shaped by moral ambiguities among antagonists and protagonists. With deep affection for a beloved place, Renner, who grew up in the Everglades, sketches a vivid portrait of the scraggly splendor of the land and its tenacious hold on life in a world that often fails to see its beauty..
By the time readers learn of a serendipitous opportunity that results in a breakthrough for the wildlife agents, many will have developed understanding and empathy for the hapless poachers. This is an interesting take on wildlife conservation in the face of climate change..
