Big Cypress National Preserve. FLORIDA – The second annual Florida Alligator Festival was held near South Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve on Sunday.
Attendees professed their love for Florida’s wildlife by wearing alligator-themed backpacks, T-shirts that read “Swamp Addiction,” and other memorabilia.
The festival featured reptile exhibits for Seminole and Micuskee children and vendors, including Native American beadwork and dishes like frying pans.
Organizers say they’re trying to recapture the love of the outdoors and “old Florida” culture. It is a cultural mix influenced by the area’s Native American tribes and the original “Gredmen.”
“Today, we’re honoring traditional alligator wrestling. The people here, many of these people are native and grew up here in the Big Cypress Swamp,” said Jack Shelley, owner of Trail Lakes Campground, Skunk Ape Principal venue, which hosted the event.
Crocodile handler Paul Simmons, known locally as Swamp Manpol, demonstrated crocodile wrestling techniques and talked about history and traditions.
“Just like in baseball or soccer or anything else, there are basic safety rules. There are always basic steps. If you skip them, you get hurt,” he said.
