ROCKLEDGE, Fla. — A discovery in a Rockledge neighborhood has state wildlife agents investigating what appears to be a case of gator poaching.
Police were called when a nearby homeowner discovered a suspicious-looking tarp in the Timbers West subdivision near South Fiske Boulevard.
Police said someone dumped a large dead alligator at the end of a cul-de-sac. The reptile’s head and tail were missing.
“I was out for my morning jog and I smelled something disgusting. I looked and I saw a poached gator,” said resident Dina Wuisman.
The penalty for killing an alligator during a closed season can range from a second-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony depending on the circumstances.
“We've lived here a long time and I've never seen anything that size here, you know? We've lived here 30 years. I wouldn't think it came from around here,” said resident Bill Wuisman.
A sanitation crew was sent to the gator's location.
“There are a lot of crazy things that happen out here, but I never expected to wake to a headless alligator,” said resident Amy Rickabaugh.
The statewide alligator harvesting season doesn’t begin until mid-August.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officials said a tag is required and only a certain number are distributed per county.
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