I have to hand it to Christy Kroboth for one of the best story leads I’ve ever read: “When I first go my license I was only doing this as a hobby. I’d work as a dental assistant and catch my alligators on the side.”
Now that's a hook!
According to a story she wrote for BBC Magazine, Christy loves her animals, especially the gators of her native south Texas. To protect her reptile friends—and her scared neighbors—Christy registered to be an alligator hunter with Texas Parks and Wildlife. Importantly, Christy specializes in capturing alligators and taking them alive! She was the only woman in her classa and had never handled an alligator before. At first, she was concerned she might not be able to pass the test.
“But something told me: ‘I have to do this,’” she wrote, ‘not only for the alligators, but to show these big ol’ country boys that I can.’” Christy ran out to the pond, taped up the alligator and earned her certification. The biggest gator she has caught is a 13-ft. male weighing more than 900 pounds. For size comparison, Christy is 120 pounds!
From handling human mouths to wrestling alligator jaws, Christy has had quite the career change! Click here to read the full story.