Unnecessary cruelty shouldn’t be applauded

Re “Local crew lands 13-foot, 5-inch alligator in Murrells Inlet” Outdoors column in The Sun News.

Torturing an alligator for hours and then killing him out of greed and the desire for a trophy is nothing to applaud. The kind of cruelty that these men meted out to the alligator would be illegal if the victim was a dog or cat. Alligators suffer just as much.

Herpetologist Clifford Warwick has said, “There is no scientific question as to whether alligators are capable of feeling pain and sensitivity to stress—they are.”

These animals play an important role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems. During droughts, for example, the holes that alligators dig to create pools of water help many species of plants and animals survive.

We should appreciate and be awed by these impressive animals, not torture them for bragging rights.

This story was originally published November 26, 2016 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Unnecessary cruelty shouldn’t be applauded."