- Joined
- Oct 17, 2024
- Messages
- 51
- Reaction score
- 106
- Points
- 33
- Age
- 26
About Our Founder
William Avery Haynes (b. March 6, 1976) has long dedicated his life to the local Louisiana wildlife and wetlands preservation.
Starting at 10 years old, he would work on Boy Scouts of America projects protecting the beauty of the wetlands ecosystem. This
dedication turned to a lifelong passion in his 20s following the international success of The Crocodile Hunter in 1997. The show inspired
Haynes with how it stoked public engagement with reptile and environment conservation as well as sparking public fascination with such
large reptiles. Desiring to perpetuate such public interest in conservation efforts, GatorTopia was founded in 2008 as a means for nearby
New Orleans natives and other Louisianans to safely get up close and personal with the species we share our home with.
Haynes' work is most widely recognized by the 2012-2017 GatorMan™ reality television series: responding to stray alligator and other hazardous reptile calls,
opting to capture them with minimal use of tools that may injure the reptile, often by his own hands, a towel, and a roll of duct tape. The show made it a point of pride that almost all animals listed would be relocated and released back into the wild. Those deemed too humanized or otherwise injured for the wild were brought back to GatorTopia for rehabilitation and to serve as ambassadors of their species. While the series' syndication ended early this year, the "GatorManYT" YouTube Channel still uploads new calls and reptile education videos on a regular basis.
As of 2015, GatorTopia's conservation efforts have proven so successful, the business has also established a Gator Farm from which Alligator meat is ethically sourced. Haynes and the former GatorMan™ television crew continue to run the conservatory while occasionally bringing show animals to events for the broader public.
