GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – Alligators were the star of the show in the Wildlife Encounters Animal Encounter tent at the Nebraska State Fair.

The exhibit featured several adult alligators that children could learn from, pet and hold.

“I think they’re one of the most misunderstood animals we have,” said Stacie Smith, one of the exhibit’s owners and a wildlife educator. “Bringing them here gives the kids facts, information and interest in an animal that they may not have known existed in North America.”

Although Smith didn’t originally plan on having an alligator exhibit, she said she loves the animals and when her husband started rescuing them, she wanted to help create educational opportunities for the public.

Wildlife Encounters is based in Omaha and brings together alligators and other animals from across the state for children to learn about.

Most alligators were once kept as pets, but Wildlife Encounters strongly discourages this.

“People don’t realize how big they get,” said Stacie’s husband, Kip Smith. “Once they grow out of the tub, people can’t take care of them anymore.”

Kip Smith said they generally get animals from people who have previously abandoned them.

One of the alligators, Bob, was raised by his owner for much longer than most pet alligators, which helped him become more comfortable around people.

Bob was the star of the alligator show, as he always walked up to the gate to greet visitors.

“Alligators are probably one of the most important animals in our water system,” Smith said. “They clean, they keep it filtered, they eat animals that are sick or dying from disease. We forget about the good things that they do and we always hear about the bad things, so in this world in this day and age we need more positive things. It brings awareness to kids who want to have a job, a career where they help animals like this and live in our natural world.”

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