Jim Jablon, owner of Wildlife Rehabilitation of Hernando (WROH) in Florida devised the GatorBike to raise funds for his center. The custom-made motorcycle, which was crafted from the skin and skull of a real alligator that was culled by authorities to keep their numbers down, was made by Swedish craftsman and leather expert Benny Ohrman, who spent a year perfecting its scaly contours. The skin is detachable, but the head is fixed permanently into the handlebars and has the speedometer and other gauges implanted into the back of the skull. The custom-made bike has a powerful Ultima engine and cost Jablon $64,000 of his own money to build. The lower parts of the bike have an alligator skin paint job that really makes the bike a work of art. “You can’t ride anywhere on that thing without being stopped by people,” said Jablon. While he doesn't advocate deliberately killing animals for their skin or parts, he explained that when wild animals grow in number and become a threat to themselves or human life, culling becomes absolutely necessary. Rather than just throwing away the skin, he prefers to use it in beautiful works of art.
