| Everglades Alligator Farm | |
|---|---|
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 A man feeding alligators as part of the Feeding Show | |
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| 25°23′36″N80°30′04″W / 25.393226°N 80.501207°W /25.393226; -80.501207 | |
| Date opened | 1982[1] |
| Location | Homestead,Florida,United States |
| Director | Matthew Thibos (CEO)[2] |
| Website | www |
Everglades Alligator Farm is a wildlife park inMiami-Dade County,Florida, nearby the city ofHomestead and the entrance ofEverglades National Park. It claims to be the oldest and largestalligator farm in South Florida, along with containing over 2,000alligators. Additionally, it providesairboat rides through the Floridian wilderness.[3]
The park works with theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to train and trap alligators hygienically and safely. Handlers are also trained on site and people who have been trained at other facilities are not hired.[2] It is also the only alligator farm in the region that does not kill or sell alligators formeat, although it does sell their eggs to other farms in Florida.[1]
The park was first founded in 1982 as an attraction for airboat rides to see alligators, but in 1985 its commercial farming to conserve the species was approved.[1]
The park incorporates manyAmerican alligators in addition to snakes, tortoises, fish,parrots,emus,[4] and a fewFlorida panthers.[5]Crocodiles andcaimans can also be found.[6]
Most alligators have been bred in the park, but some others have been received from shows such asGator Boys or been captured from the wild. If an alligator has to be relocated three times, due to training issues or the like, officers will have toeuthanize it.[2]
For an additional price, people can partake in an encounter with the alligators, being able to hold different sizes and feed them.
Airboat tours through the Everglades last roughly 20–25 minutes and hearing protection is provided, due to the loud nature of the vehicles. Alligators, fish, turtles, and birds are commonly seen during the trip. An extended 45-to-60-minute tour is available for purchase as well, in which buyers get off the boat and explore the prairies themselves.[3]
There are two shows that each occur every two hours: the Alligator Show and Alligator Feeding. The Alligator Show is the most popular of the two, an educational performance in which expertswrestle the reptiles usingNative American tactics while also teaching the audience about them along withcrocodiles andcaimans. In order to prevent the alligators from being stressed, they are swapped daily.[2] The Alligator Feeding takes place in the center of the park, near a breeding pond with over 500 alligators. People watch gators crawl over and bite each other to get food.[3][7]
