GATOR COUNTRY
Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades
David Grann meets Susan Orlean in this page-turning true story of an underground operation into the mysterious world of alligator poaching and its larger than life Floridian characters.
To catch a Florida Man, you have to become one, and that’s what Officer Jeff Babauta did. As his ponytailed, whiskey-soaked alter ego, he established Sunshine Alligator Farm. His goal? Infiltrate the shady world of illegal poachers in the Florida Everglades in order to protect the natural world.
A head-spinning adventure soon unfolds. Jeff deals with glow-in-the-dark alligators and high-speed airboat rides, but quickly learns that not all poachers are villains.
David Grann meets Susan Orlean in this page-turning true story of an underground operation into the mysterious world of alligator poaching and its larger than life Floridian characters.
To catch a Florida Man, you have to become one, and that’s what Officer Jeff Babauta did. As his ponytailed, whiskey-soaked alter ego, he established Sunshine Alligator Farm. His goal? Infiltrate the shady world of illegal poachers in the Florida Everglades in order to protect the natural world.
A head-spinning adventure soon unfolds. Jeff deals with glow-in-the-dark alligators and high-speed airboat rides, but quickly learns that not all poachers are villains. They’re simply people trying to survive, fighting against the poverty and greed holding them down. Jeff wants to solve the mystery of alligator poachers, and in doing so he must venture deeper into a strange ecosystem where right is wrong, and justice comes at the cost of those who’ve welcomed him into their world.
Gator Country is the twisting true story of the impossible choices individuals must make to stay afloat in this world. Through its wholly unique blend of reporting, nature writing, and personal narrative, this book transports readers to vibrant and dangerous Florida landscapes and offers intimate portraits of those who call the region home. Broad in scope and vivid in detail, Gator Country is a fast paced tale of the risks people will take to survive in one of the world’s most beautiful yet formidable landscapes and the undercover investigation that threatens to topple the whole scheme.
- Flatiron Books
- Hardcover
- November 2023
- 288 Pages
- 9781250842572
Buy the Book
$29.99
About Rebecca Renner
Rebecca Renner is a contributor to National Geographic, and her writing has appeared The New York Times, Outside Magazine, Tin House, The Paris Review, The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. She holds an MFA from Stetson University. Gator Country is her debut.
Praise
“Fascinating…Renner teases out the moral ambiguities with a grace and rigor reminiscent of Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief. Beautifully evoking the ‘sawgrass plains and wild strands of jungle’ of its author’s home state, this tale of power, politics, and tradition is a triumph.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Combining her skills for investigative reporting, nature writing, and personal anecdotes, Renner explores local folklore and legends, shares her personal experiences and observations… Renner’s passion for her home state, compassion for those less fortunate, and gift of storytelling make this book difficult to put down. Enlightening and full of suspense.” —Kirkus, starred review
“In this fascinating blend of true crime and science reporting, Rebecca Renner’s Gator Country tracks Jeff Babauta, an unassuming undercover conservation agent who risks it all to infiltrate an alligator poaching operation in the treacherous Florida wetlands. Told with fierce loyalty to nature and compassion for humans, Renner’s Gator Country delivers all the suspense and subterfuge of a le Carré novel. It’ll even make you love alligators.” —Erika Krouse, award-winning author of Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation
“Gator Country brims with energy, confidence, and all the hallmarks of a true-life thriller, but Rebecca Renner’s unique talent is her keen skill at bringing her characters to life and giving their motivations full color and context. The result is poignant and wonderful. Gator Country isn’t just a thrill for thrill’s sake, but a generous, thoughtful exploration of what it means for all of us to live in a habitat of predators. Rebecca Renner is a true talent.” —Adam Chandler, author of Drive-Thru Dreams
“A gorgeously rendered ode to the wild characters – both human and animal – of Renner’s native Florida, Gator Country takes a deep dive into the fascinatingly blurry line that can exist between poachers and conservationists operating in our own backyards.” —Rachel Nuwer, author of Poached