VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) – Florida wildlife officials are investigating a case of possible alligator abuse.
Snapchat video shows a man dragging an 8-foot long alligator behind an ATV. The video was taken on Wednesday, and officials said the man was with a group near U.S. 1 in Volusia County.
In the video, the man appears to tie the gator to the back of his ATV before dragging it back and forth on the road.
“They are dangerous animals, and it could have turned out bad with the gentlemen being bitten and also bringing harm to the animal,” said Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission officer Chad Webber.
The video has drawn comparisons to video taken last summer, showing a shark being dragged behind a boat off the Florida Coast.
It took about a month for FWC officials to identify the men in the video and charge them. “Sometimes it is tough to identify these people,” Webber said.
But while FWC says the intent to harm the shark in that video appeared clear to them, this incident with the alligator is not so clear.
FWC says it received a tip right away about the video, and investigators have already spoken with the man.
Should investigators determine the man wanted to harm the reptile, he could face charges.
People who saw the video said they couldn’t bare to watch it.
“There’s no justification for it at all,” said Volusia County resident Dan Friend. “I was appalled to see the video.”
Wildlife officials said when they finish their investigation, they may send the case to the State Attorney’s Office for possible charges.
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