Alligators and their relatives, crocodiles have existed for millions of years, among the last living remnants of the dinosaurs. First hunted commercially in the 1880s, the American alligator was once at risk of extinction. In the 20th century laws regulating the hunting of these creatures helped restore the alligator population. Since then, the business of processing alligators for their skin and meat has been carefully regulated to eliminate the export of leather made from its still endangered relatives.