Inside the Sting Operation to Catch Florida’s Alligator Thieves

When Florida state wildlife officials begin to suspect that someone is illegally harvesting alligator eggs, they launch Operation Alligator Thief. At its heart: a veteran officer named Jeff Babauta, who delays his retirement to go deep undercover as a real Florida Man, hoping to infiltrate the insular world of gator farming.

Featured in this episode:

Jeff Babauta

Rebecca Renner

Sources:

Rebecca Renner’s book Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades

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