From Near Extinction to 5 Million: The American Alligator's Comeback with Coyote Peterson

Back From the Brink, from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom · Sep 3, 2026 · 33m · transcript

By 1967, the American alligator — a reptile whose lineage predates the dinosaurs — had been hunted, skinned and pushed to the edge of extinction. Twenty years later it was thriving again, making a full recovery under the Endangered Species Act.

In this episode, Dr. Rae sits down with Coyote Peterson, wildlife educator and creator of Brave Wilderness, whose alligator content alone has racked up over 100 million views. Together they explain why these "ecosystem engineers" are critical to the health of southeastern wetlands. And they dig into the modern threats that still put the species at…