I know a professional photog that started out chasing wildlife. He was better than most hunters in his pursuit to capture on chromes and later digitally. He had pics of bald eagles nesting around the nw corner of AL. He had pics of wood storks and whooping cranes along with other lost critters. Pics of alligators on cypress creek back when they didn’t exist here. He even had pics of 2 immature male black bears in Waterloo on the management area long before it possible one could be here. He showed me those pics and told me where they were photographed. I asked him if ever gotta pic of a mtn lion. Not yet he said but he had saw one, one day while driving around. Considering most of his equipment is expensive and just one lens can cost 50k so you tend not to drive around with it in your lap.

I also asked if he’d shared any of those pics with biologist. He did once but I was met with so much skepticism he never did again plus by not telling was able to keep photographing some of those critters. He did work with a biologist regarding bald eagles and nesting sites but not all of them.

This guy and his wife live, eat and sleep photography and at that time it was wildlife. Most of their vacations were photo safaris to wherever. They’re favorite place is in Louisiana bayous saying you never knew what you’d see there.

What’s funny is alligators have been seen and photographed here on the river. One even made
The front page of the times daily. 20 something little ones were seen in cypress creek by a viable individual and then mom was captured. Still to this day folks deny them being on the pickwick river.

I saw one in Bellsink bottom swamp way back in the 80s. Told no way possible had to be a beaver. Beavers tails don’t swish side to side. Besides my good friend saw it better than myself and he’d been around gators in Florida. A year or 2 later one hit the front page of the times daily.