A Tangle of Black Plastic
Heavy rubber boots sank into the damp mud along the water line. A young alligator twisted its body back and forth against the bank, unable to pull its back legs free from a sheet of rigid plastic mesh.
Just a few yards out in the river, two ridged nostrils and a pair of dark eyes crested the surface. The massive adult reptile floated motionless, facing the shore directly where the small hatchling struggled.
The man dropped to one knee in the wet grass. He pulled a fold-out knife with an orange handle from his pocket and pressed the curved blade against the first strand of synthetic netting.
Working Millimeters From Sharp Teeth
The small reptile whipped its tail and opened its yellow-rimmed mouth wide, letting out a sharp hiss. Its claws scrabbled uselessly in the slick mud as the man placed a gloved thumb along its ridged flank to keep it still.
The water behind them rippled in concentric circles as the adult alligator pushed forward an inch. Its broad snout remained pointed squarely at the muddy embankment.
Using the flat edge of the blade, the man worked underneath the tightest loops wrapped around the creature’s neck. He drew the knife upward, slicing through the synthetic squares one row at a time.
Each pop of severed plastic allowed the hatchling an extra fraction of an inch of movement. The man peeled the netting away in strips, using his leather gloves to shield the animal’s eyes from the jagged cut ends.
He guided the remaining lattice over the lizard’s tail until the dark scales cleared the final knot. Gathering the discarded plastic into a tight bundle, he rose back to his feet and took three long strides up the slope.
The Long Crawl Back
Left on the wet shore, the small alligator pushed forward on its belly. It slid through the mud and slipped into the shallow ripple of the river’s edge.
The large alligator did not submerge or thrash. It drifted forward in the shallows, lowering its jaw until its snout rested level with the surface.
The young reptile kicked its back legs and steered straight toward the larger animal’s head. Their snouts brushed lightly against each other, creating a soft ripple that spread across the amber surface before both turned together toward the reeds.
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