Alligator rescue seeks to separate fact from fiction about fierce animals

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- You've seen it in TV shows - the lightning-swift attack of an alligator. The videos are all over the internet.

According to experts, there are nearly a half million gators living among us in Harris, Chambers, Jefferson and Orange counties.

The problem with some of those videos folks at Gator Country in Beaumont, TX, say is that they can leave you with a false sense of security. The power and swift movement of gators cannot be underestimated.

Gary Saurage owns and operates Gator Country and calls those videos misleading.

"Our job is to teach people about these animals," he said. "I spend 365 days a year trying to straighten that bad TV and videos out."

He says sometimes the videos are faked by those shooting them. Saurage has a nuisance gator license. He helps the state round them up, and keeps them at the gator rescue where visitors can see them up close.

Saurage admits they have to entertain, but insists they don't feel pressure to ramp up the danger because of the videos.

Some of it is showmanship - no doubt. Saurage tells visitors after an alligator snaps his mouth shut, "That's 3,000 pounds per square inch. If your hands (get) in there, you got a problem."

Arliee Hammonds boasts "quick hands or no hands" -- ironically tattooed on his hands.

They'll even let visitors feed the gators. One woman, Rachel Star, came all the way from South Carolina and paid hundreds of dollars to scratch this off her bucket list.

Star said, "I'm acting like I'm cool, but I can tell my hands are shaking a little!"

Children here can even wade with the smaller gators. The animal's mouths taped shut. All of this is done under careful supervision. Visitors are frequently reminded of the potential for danger.

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So Saurage tries to teach -- not just about gators, but about snakes and other exotic creatures he's picked up along the way. So visitors develop a healthy respect for all of them. So they realize that little good can come from putting your head in a gator's mouth.

That's a lesson some continue to learn on YouTube the hard way.