Headless alligator dumped in Rockledge neighborhood prompts investigation

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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