Latest news with #Tigertail
BBC News
19-04-2025
- BBC News
How alligators are breathing life into Florida's Everglades
The Everglades' eclectic alligators are surprisingly diverse builders, bodyguards, commuters, and health-bringing engineers. From the edge of the Miccosukee Indian Reservation, in the north of the Florida Everglades, it is a short fan-boat ride through grassy swamp to get to an island that 18-year-old Hector Tigertail's family visit each year. For decades, this family "hammock" – as the tree-covered islands that poke out from the Everglades are known – has been their retreat; a place where the family can camp, cook and hunt. But they share this particular island with at least one permanent resident: an American alligator that, at around 7ft (2.1m) from nose to tail, is the largest female he's ever seen. Tigertail's family, members of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, and this powerful reptile, which locals refer to as Mama Gator, have lived side by side for much of the 60-year-old animal's life, he explains. This intimate coexistence provides a chance to observe how alligators meticulously shape their surroundings. Through the dry season between December and May, she excavates a "gator pond" with her snout, claws and tail, a depression where water pools and she can wallow, keep cool and mate. At the start of the rainy season (from June to November), she builds a raised nest for her clutch of eggs, from mud, grass and twigs – a time when the humans know to keep a respectful distance from the protective mother. In return, for the next few years, they are often rewarded with the sight of Mama and her baby gators in tow. "We like to call her Mama Gator because she's everybody's grandma," says Tigertail. In recent years, scientific research is adding support to something Florida's Miccosukee Tribe have long known: alligators like Mama play vital roles as "guardians of the Everglades" and engineer their environment in ways that protect freshwater ecosystems. Alligators carry around nutrients that feed ecosystem webs, and their ponds and nests provide refuges where plants, fishand frogs live. New data hints that that alligators may also benefit us. "Apex predator or not, alligators are actually very helpful and they can change the ecosystem significantly," says Tigertail, who researches alligators for the Miccosukee Tribe's Fish and Wildlife Department. "During the dry season, a lot of animals – deer, fish, otters, turtles, birds – follow the alligators." For those like biologist Christopher Murray who has spent decades closely studying alligators, it's high time to move past their reputation as cold-hearted killers and recognise the varied roles they're playing as caring and constructive ecosystem engineers. While the cute, herbivorous beaver is widely celebrated for stewarding temperate wetlands, it is the "gnarly swamp monsters" who deserve plaudits in the southeastern United States and many other places, says Murray, associate professor at Southeastern Louisiana University. "I think we're just beginning to understand that crocodilians, in general, and specifically alligators, do a lot more good than we think." From near-extinction to mass appreciation Alligators are often called "living fossils", relatively untouched by major evolutionary changes for at least eight million years, with remarkably similar ancestors already hunting swamps alongside the dinosaurs. Yet, beginning in the 1850s, the arrival of rifle-wielding European settlers into the wetlands of Florida and Louisiana drove this evolutionary line to the verge of extinction. More than 10 million alligators were killed by commercial hunting up to the 1960s, driven by the popularity of their hides for bags, belts and boots, with others shot for sport or "just for fun" according to historical accounts. In 1967, American alligators were placed on endangered species lists, leading to nationwide hunting bans that allowed populations to recover. Today, the species is recognised as a standout conservation success story, as the population has rebounded to more than three million alligators estimated to live in the wild in the states of Florida and Louisiana, and thousands more spread across the south-eastern United States. Just as conservationists began fighting to save the species from extinction in the 1960s and 1970s, researchers began documenting their important ecological roles. In the wet season, the raised ridges around the edge of these nests are relatively dry land where some plants can escape flooding and provide platforms where smaller reptiles build their own nests. Meanwhile wading birds build their own nests above alligators, which act as "bodyguards", keeping raccoons and other predators away from the birds' eggs. (More recent research has shown that this is a macabre but overall mutually beneficial arrangement with alligators being rewarded with snacks from chicks that fall from the nests.) Mike Heithaus, professor of biological sciences at Florida International University, explains that, despite its lush appearances, the Everglades can be a nutrient poor environment. A largely flat wetland, dominated by grass-like plants, many key nutrients are carried out to sea by great slow-flowing seasonal rivers, some kilometres wide. In the dry season, when the water level falls, research since the mid-20th Century has shown that alligators' habit of excavating holes created variety in the otherwise monotonous landscape, with unique communities of plants, animals and algae around ponds. These holes can be architecturally diverse – created by one alligator or up to a dozen together – incorporating eclectic "burrows and hidey-holes", says Heithaus, including underwater caverns, where the alligator can stay submerged for hours. These aquatic environments form refuges in which fish like juvenile largemouth bass survive the dry season but can also be "death traps" which lure birds in search of a snack, he adds. We're now learning these are surprisingly dynamic systems. Research in 2023 showed that it was not only the construction of the ponds that counted "but actively being in the pond matters", says Heithaus. As the alligators move, they continually stir up the sediment to keep those nutrients in the water. "The alligators are moving around; they're pooping in there. That's providing nutrients which algae – that form the base of the food web – rely on. So, you kind of prime the pump: you feed the bottom of the food chain and [the nutrients] come all the way up." Without alligators, there would be much less nutrients circulated in the water, says Heithaus. "You put alligators there, and you get food and water, and that's happy times for most critters in the Everglades." Eclectic alligators This research also reveals a lesser-seen side of alligators, spotlighting them as remarkably sophisticated and adaptable creatures. The alligator's reputation as a "man-eating monster" was inspired long ago by accounts like William Bartram's widely reproduced (and wildly inaccurate) stories of encountering alligators in Florida swamps with "clouds of smoke" erupting from their nostrils. Although attacks on humans are very rare, these cold-blooded animals remain feared by many as killers or "weird swamp things", says Murray, who has worked with alligators for more than two decades. Those who live up close with alligators see other qualities. One alligator in the state of Georgia, named Wally, was even docile enough to be domesticated as an "emotional support alligator", providing comfort and "hugs" to help alleviate his owner's depression. Despite the reported gentleness of some individuals, it is recommended to stay at least 9m (30ft) away from alligators in the wild. Alligators are carnivores, powerful enough to bring down a wild deer or feral boar but "naturally they're going to be more of a flighty, non-confrontational animal," says Kendall Osceola, who worked at the Miccosukee Indian Village, the tribe's cultural centre. The Miccosukee learn a strict set of rules from a young age for sharing their coastal homes with gators. "We were always told if there's a body of water in Florida, there's going to be an alligator in there. So, keep a careful eye on any pets or anything small around the water line," she says. Yet Miccosukee stories depict them as "benevolent creatures", she says. More like this:• How do you re-home a rhino? Upside down• Elephants hate bees - here's how that helps humans• A wild 'freakosystem' has been born in Hawaii Today, alligators have adapted to live in the urbanised environments of golf courses, canals and sewers. Researchers have been surprised by how varied and flexible alligators are, explains Heithaus, yet research in 2011 found behaviours that have shocked even those who study them. Near Miccosukee village, in an area where alligators live in mangrove forests alongside a fast-flowing river, Heithaus and Adam Rosenblatt fitted trackers to alligators, finding that similar alligators lived very different lives – some were "couch potatoes" who remain close to home, while others were "commuters" who travel long distances to coastal areas. "Tag two alligators – same size, both males, 20m (65.6ft) apart on the shore – and one will not move more than 7km (4.3 miles) in total in three months, and the other might do 800km (497 miles)," says Heithaus. While American alligators have been spotted swimming out in the ocean in the past, prior to this research this behaviour was believed to be extremely rare, says Heithaus. Unlike crocodiles, alligators lack specialised glands to process salt, yet this monitoring showed that some alligators frequently venture out into the ocean when there are abundant saltwater fish and crabs to feast on. "When we first got some data suggesting the alligators were down in these saltwater environments for maybe 18 hours at a time, we were looked at like we had two heads – people didn't believe it at all," says Heithaus. "And I think it's one of the cool things we're finding across sharks, alligators, and lots of animals – that there's a lot more behavioural adaptability and individual specialisation than we would have thought – bold individuals, shy individuals; exploratory individuals, stay-at-home individuals." Carbon-consuming monsters Heithaus is aiming to figure out what causes these different behaviours – whether genetic or influenced by environmental factors – as well as what role "commuting" plays in cycling nutrients around wetland environments. Already, studies have shown that alligator ponds are richer in key nutrients like phosphorus and commuters are carrying nutrients up into the wetlands from coastal areas, by eating in the oceans and excreting upstream. "We know that they're moving these nutrients upstream," says Heithaus. His team at the Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research Program is seeking a more granular understanding of how this affects the overall "nutrient budget" of the ecosystem, where nutrients are deposited, and how it affects the overall system. Crucially, at a time when the Gulf Coast is being hard hit by the impacts of climate change, we are also learning that alligators may affect their environments' ability to capture carbon. By analysing soil samples across Louisiana, Murray was recently able to demonstrate in a study that areas with high numbers of alligators are rich carbon stores. "What this paper says to me is: look, we rescued the American alligator from extinction," he says, "but what we didn't realise, back then, was that maybe we were actually doing a lot more for the environment – in the context of carbon sequestration and the battle against climate change – than we previously thought." The next step, says Murray, is to show that alligators are actively contributing to higher carbon storage in these areas – and how. We have good reason to think alligators, as apex predators, may be playing a similar "top-down" role to the famed wolves of Yellowstone, whose return has reduced herbivore grazing on small trees and helped forests to regrow. The theory of trophic cascades developed by Utah State University ecologist Trisha Atwood has shown that apex predators are not only vital for ecosystem health but could have big impacts on CO2 dynamics. This could be particularly important in freshwater ecosystems like Louisiana's tidally inundated wetlands, which store enormous amounts of carbon, says Murray, but can turn into a carbon source when they dry out. Murray hopes his forthcoming research can provide further evidence about the value of supporting healthy alligator populations. Although hunting bans were the most important step to save the species from extinction, efforts to protect and restore populations are ongoing and involve groups who are often less recognised, he says. Among them are commercial alligator ranchers who retrieve eggs from the wild, incubate them and raise them through the first few years of life in enclosed or semi-wild environments, safeguarding them when they are most vulnerable to predation and disease. This form of early-years care, known as "head-starting", is common in conservation initiatives that aim to help endangered animals – from Eastern indigo snakes to burrowing owls. But, in Louisiana, this is a "self-funded" system driven by ranchers, says Murray. These ranchers are required to release 5% of alligators they raise into the wild, while the rest are treated as livestock that can be butchered for meat and hides. In the Everglades, head-starting is also carried out by the Miccosukee, who rescue eggs in years when water levels in the Everglades rise, threatening to drown eggs, or temperatures fall to levels that can harm baby alligators. "Sometimes I would be at home and my uncle would tell me: 'Hey, the temperature is dropping really fast. It's going to be a really cold night. So get on the airboat and we have to go out there before the cold weather kills them'," says Tigertail. Despite their fearsome reputation, all this hints at a future where humans and alligators coexist, with these reptiles recognised as "helpful participants" in solutions to the challenges we both face, says Murray. "If you think historically, alligators and other crocodilians have been revered as a sacred entity in cultures around the world. Do they command respect? Yes. But are they monsters? Are they to be feared? No." -- For essential climate news and hopeful developments to your inbox, sign up to the Future Earth newsletter, while The Essential List delivers a handpicked selection of features and insights twice a week. For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and X and Instagram.
New York Times
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
She Was the Female Lead in His Film. Now She's His Leading Lady.
In March 2018, Christine Ko canceled an audition for the film 'Tigertail' because her adoptive father, who had been sick with cancer for many years, was dying and she wanted to see him. A few weeks later, the role still hadn't been cast, so Ms. Ko, an actress, was invited again to audition. 'I remember where I was when I watched her audition video,' said Alan Michael Yang, the writer, director and producer of 'Tigertail.' He was so impressed by her performance that he wanted to meet Ms. Ko in person. Ms. Ko landed the role as the film's female lead, and she and Mr. Yang spent the early fall working together in New York and Taiwan, with him behind the camera and her in front of it. The film is inspired by Mr. Yang's parents, Joanne Bian and Peter Yang, and the story of their immigration from Taiwan to the United States. Like Mr. Yang, Ms. Ko is Taiwanese-American. 'It's so cool that we're from similar cultural backgrounds,' Ms. Ko said. During filming, she said, they were both 'discovering our identity and where our parents are from.' Ms. Ko, 36, grew up with two sets of parents: her biological parents, Cindy Wen and Frankie Kao, who lived in Taiwan her whole life, and her aunt and uncle, Irene and Richard Wang, who adopted her when she was 3 years old and raised her in Acworth, Ga. She received a bachelor's degree in communication from Georgia State University, and in 2011, she moved to Los Angeles to become an actress. She worked as a waitress, babysitter and Uber driver until she caught a break on CBS's 'The Great Indoors' in 2016. Since then, she's been cast on TV shows like 'Dave,' 'Only Murders in the Building' and 'The Handmaid's Tale.' Mr. Yang, 41, received a bachelor's degree in biology from Harvard, where he wrote for the well-known humor magazine the Harvard Lampoon. After graduating, he pursued a career in television and film, and is now known for his writing, editing and production work on popular shows like 'Parks and Recreation,' 'Master of None' and 'Loot.' Growing up in Riverside, Calif., Mr. Yang said he was 'a pretty bad Taiwanese kid' who had no interest in attending Chinese school. After a visit to Taiwan at age 8, he didn't return until he was 30. The experience of filming 'Tigertail,' which was released in April 2020, strengthened his link to his Taiwanese heritage, he said. 'The movie was somewhat inspired by my own disconnection from the country and going back there and feeling so American,' Mr. Yang said. 'Making it and meeting Christine really helped me develop my relationship to Taiwan. It was very emotional for me.' For Ms. Ko, who started her acting career in Taiwan in her early 20s, the experience was equally powerful, especially when her biological mother came on the set to watch her work. 'It was the first time I was a lead,' she said. 'It was wonderful to be there in such a safe environment. We were living our dreams shooting this film.' After filming wrapped at the end of October 2018, Ms. Ko and Mr. Yang weren't ready to part ways. 'We realized we didn't want to stop seeing each other,' said Ms. Ko. 'I feel like we really got to know each other after Tigertail.' Soon, she thought, 'Wait, we should be together.' Ms. Ko took Mr. Yang on a first date to Ningxia Night Market in Taipei to eat dumplings and lu rou fan, a Taiwanese braised pork dish. Their love of food was one thing they bonded over; their passion for travel was another. As their relationship developed, Ms. Ko was impressed by Mr. Yang's stamina and zest for life. 'This is a man who never has jet lag,' she said. 'He lands and is happy and goes for a run. One time we went to Tokyo and he wanted to eat at three different pizza restaurants. I realized this is someone who's going to show me so many things and at the same time, I can talk to him like he's my best friend.' On the other hand, Mr. Yang admired Ms. Ko's charisma and kindness. 'Everyone who meets her loves her,' he said. 'My friends, as they started meeting her, they said, 'You should marry her.' She has the ability to be incredibly warm and generous and empathetic for an incredible range of people.' Mr. Yang and Ms. Ko were on the first day of a vacation in Japan in December 2022 when he asked her to marry him in their hotel room at Aman Tokyo. 'I'd just bought mascara right before that,' Ms. Ko said. 'I cried it all off.' Afterward, Mr. Yang and Ms. Ko had dinner at one of their favorite sushi restaurants, Sushi Masa by Ishibashi. They kept the engagement from almost everyone they knew the whole week they were in Japan, waiting until they flew to Taiwan afterward for a family gathering to share the news. They were married on Jan. 3, at a private club on the Upper East Side in front of 135 guests. Their friend David Chang, the chef, who received a one-day officiant license from the Office of the City Clerk of New York, officiated. The couple chose the date when they began planning a year ago because it was close enough to the holidays that there was only a very small chance that Ms. Ko might have to be on a set. 'Winter is the only time in entertainment when we're shut down,' Ms. Ko said. They hosted a couple of smaller events before the wedding day, including a family dinner in the Tin Building on South Street, and a lunch at Hutong, a dim sum restaurant in Midtown East. For the wedding itself, Ms. Ko wore a custom creation by Lihi Hod with a cape and a watteau — a train that starts mid-back. She chose all of her looks with the help of her stylist, Rob Zangardi, whose clients have included Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani. 'For the reception, I took off the cape and put on white leather gloves and had French twist hair,' Ms. Ko said. 'It was very Audrey Hepburn in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's.'' During the ceremony, Ms. Ko walked down the aisle alone, though she inserted a photo of her with her father, Mr. Wang, into the bouquet. In the past, Ms. Ko said, 'Whenever I attended a wedding, I panicked at the thought of my dad not walking me down the aisle. But I didn't feel an ounce of sadness because I was walking toward Alan. I was just excited.' Ms. Ko worked with the venue and the wedding planner, Nicky Reinhard, to decorate various rooms in the club for each of the events. The space for the cocktail hour, for example, was adorned in burgundy hues with pomegranates scattered around. 'That room was for fun and martini tray passes,' Ms. Ko said. For the dinner, a large room was lit with 3,000 candles. That was where the couple, who live in Los Angeles, had their first dance. 'When I walked into the room, I cried,' Ms. Ko said. 'It was so beautiful.' The post-dinner dancing was held in the club's library, which was decorated in jewel-green tones and had a bar vestibule attached. 'When I thought about dancing, I didn't want people to feel like they had to perform,' Ms. Ko said. 'I wanted it to be dark, and I wanted there to be seating for everyone. I wanted everyone to have a V.I.P. table. It felt like a lounge.' Binge more Vows columns here and read all our wedding, relationship and divorce coverage here. Having left the planning in Ms. Ko's hands, Mr. Yang was impressed by how the event turned out. 'I've always said to her, 'Would you be interested in producing and directing?'' he said. 'Before this wedding, she wasn't necessarily sure, but after seeing her handle this massive project — as the director, producer and the talent — I turned to her and said, 'You can absolutely direct your own movie.' It was really inspiring and made me really proud.' At midnight, guests snacked on pizza from Scarr's, a popular restaurant on Orchard Street. The party lasted until 2 a.m. 'When the lights went on, everybody was still there,' Ms. Ko said. 'That was our favorite part of it: our guests. They all understood the assignment. And the assignment was to have fun.' When Jan. 3, 2025 Where A private club in Manhattan Caviar Cake Wanting to have the wedding flow a certain way, Ms. Ko decided that cutting the cake would make more sense during the cocktail hour. Then, she said, it occurred to her that the ideal snack during cocktail hour is potato chips with caviar. 'We got a tin of caviar in the shape of a cake,' Ms. Ko said. Their guests could smear the caviar on tater tots and chicken tenders. 'We love a little high-low,' she added. Cats on Top On the day Mr. Yang proposed, Masakazu Ishibashi, the chef and owner of the sushi restaurant where they celebrated the engagement, brought out two cat figurines dressed as a bride and groom. Months later, a friend texted Mr. Yang to tell him he'd seen the same cats on a random website. 'I don't know why he happened on this website,' Mr. Yang said. 'I couldn't find them again after that.' Luckily, Mr. Yang bought them immediately, and they served as the caviar cake toppers on his and Ms. Ko's wedding day. Throwback Jams During dinner, the D.J. played '80s music and songs from TV shows that Mr. Yang loves. In a surprise addition, he said, someone played 'a song from my old punk band from when I was 19.' For the dancing portion, the music leaned more into Southern hip-hop, which both Mr. Yang and Ms. Ko are fans of.
