everglade

The lake feeds estuaries and wetlands to the south, and is home to the Everglade snail kite, an endangered bird of prey.

The gators congregate near the Heltons’ house in Everglade City, Fla., after big rains, when the rivers flood the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico with brackish water.

Before Florida’s development, the bay was reliably hydrated by rain draining gradually across the state from as far as Orlando at the Everglade’s north end.

"These animals lived in a swampy environment comparable to the modern Everglade system," added Prof Martin.

Ukraine has been down this road before, raising the hopes of western investors and commercial interests in the wake of the Orange Revolution, only to slip back into an everglade of corruption and inefficiency.