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Early History of Conflict Between Alligators and Humans
Alligators and humans have come into contact for millennia in the southern states of the US. Indigenous peoples occasionally hunted alligators for food, but generally kept a healthy distance from them and had little impact on their overall numbers or habitat. It wasn't until the arrival of Europeans in the late 16th century and the subsequent colonization and plantation of the southern states that alligators and humans came into regular conflict.
Effect of Hunting
When Europeans first arrived in North America, they often hunted alligators as a source of food and to allay any threat they potentially posed to humans wandering near the rivers. Later, during the Industrial Revolution, products derived from the skin of alligators became in demand in the fashion industry. Alligator skin was used to make such products as boots, saddlebags and belts. By the late 19th century, alligator hunters were depleting the natural population at an alarming rate, killing as many as 200 to 400 alligators each annually. In Florida alone, 190,000 skins were traded in 1929. Concerted hunting took its toll, however, and by 1943 only 6,800 were traded, a sign of the great impact that humans have had on the alligator population.
Threats Posed by Alligators to Humans
With the explosion of the human population in the 19th and 20th century, humans have increasingly usurped areas where alligators originally constituted one of the region's dominant predators. Alligators are large, powerful animals and they can be territorial. However, they tend to avoid contact with humans when possible. Alligators that are more familiar with humans have often been encouraged by members of the public feeding them; this is not recommended. If an alligator hisses, it is a warning to keep keep your distance. Despite their fearsome reputation, the instance of alligators actually killing humans is low. Alligators have killed only 20 people in Florida since 1948.
Current Relationship between Alligators and Humans
While legislation was implemented in the 1940s and 1950s to protect alligators during breeding season, the population continued to decline into the 1970s. It was only in 1970, when the U.S. government prohibited the interstate shipment of alligators, that alligator hunting finally trailed off and the population rehabilitated rapidly. With an increasing population, some professional hunters were given the right to hunt certain "nuisance" alligators considered a threat to the public. By the early 1980s, members of the public could also apply for a license to hunt a specific number of alligators identified for culling each year.