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A clip of an alligator trainer summoning a gator named “Darth Gator” by playing the famous Star Wars tune, the Imperial March, has left the internet both amused and slightly in awe. It showcases the intelligence of these oft-misunderstood prehistoric animals in an amusingly fitting way.
The Power of the Dark Side
As the Imperial March begins to play, the alligator named Darth Gator seemingly recognizes his cue. The intimidating reptile emerges from the water and advances on the trainer. Amazingly, it even seems to walk in time to the beat to the iconic tune. As one user aptly praised, “Got to appreciate he is in lockstep to the beat. That’s a gator who knows his theme music.” Another quipped, “Pray he never ‘alters’ the deal,” playing on Darth Vader’s famous line from The Empire Strikes Back.
There’s something interminably badass about Star Wars‘ Imperial March. To this day, John Williams’ iconic track remains the perfect blend of menacing and epic. It just stirs you to get up and march around. As another commenter pointed out, “If my name was Darth Gator, I would only make appearances while the Imperial March is being played.” Who could argue with that logic?
“I Am Altering the Deal”
There’s no doubt that Darth Gator’s impeccable timing isn’t purely coincidental. There surely must be substantial training involved to get an alligator to respond to music. As Redditors speculated, it could be that Darth is conditioned to link music to food. A bit like how I associate the sound of the fridge opening with feeding time. But, not to be a party pooper, we don’t actually know for sure whether Darth responds to any music, or just the Imperial March.
One thing’s for sure, though – this is an intelligent creature. As reptile enthusiast Jay Brewer of The Reptile Zoo says:
People often do not think of gators as very smart animals but they definitely are smarter then we think.
Jay, who appears to be one of the trainers responsible for Darth Gator, goes on to explain how the gator knew he was trying to entice him out of his enclosure. Even chicken can’t overcome the power of the Dark Side, seemingly. If that was the deal, Darth is altering it. Pray he doesn’t alter it further.
Although obviously amusing, it’s hard not to be amazed by these ancient reptiles. Alligators have existed on Earth for nearly 37 million years, and evolved very little in that time. It’s bizarre and somewhat mindblowing to think how humans have managed to train creatures that have hunted prey for millions of years with nothing to fear by way of predators. And yet Jay comes along and has ol’ Darth marching to Star Wars for his dinner.
Hands on With Nature
On a more serious note, it’s fantastic that institutions like The Reptile Zoo, home of Lord Darth Gator, introduce kids to nature. Many children get hands-on with animals like sheep, rabbits and donkeys, but the cold-blooded and many-legged creatures tend to get overlooked. In fact, many of us are scared of reptiles and amphibians.
The Reptile Zoo seeks to address that, educating and entertaining visitors about these unusual creatures. In this age of rampant social media and rapidly-evolving technologies, it’s more important than ever that youngsters get in touch with nature. It’s no exaggeration to say that their appreciation of our planet and its wonderful, eclectic denizens may be needed for humanity’s continued existence.
And if that interest starts with an amusing clip of an implacable alligator advancing to the Imperial March, so be it. Perhaps that could be the spark that lights the fire. Plus, we think it’s just really cool. As one Redditor sums up, “All hail Lord Gator.” We quite agree.
