Teen charged with animal cruelty after being filmed ‘attempting to force baby alligator to drink alcohol before dropping him on the floor’
- A Florida teen has been charged with illegally handling a young alligator after she was caught on camera attempting to give him alcohol
- The incident took place in a parking lot in Tampa, where two teenage boys found the baby gator and began assaulting it, picking it up and roughly handling it.
- Despite being told to stop by another teen, they continued their brutal treatment with the footage being passed on to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
A Florida teen who was caught on camera trying to force a baby alligator to drink alcohol has been charged with animal cruelty after illegally handling an animal, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The baby aligator was found in a Tampa parking lot and suddenly became the plaything of two teenage boys who began picking it up and abusing the reptile.
A fellow teen who was in her own car at the time witnessed the brutal treatment and told the boys to stop what they were doing, but they continued to treat the gator roughly.
Footage she captured directly in front of the couple with her cell phone showed the gator being held by its neck before falling to the ground.
A Florida teen has been charged with illegally handling a young alligator after she was caught on camera attempting to give him alcohol
The incident took place in a parking lot in Tampa, where two teenage boys found the baby gator and began assaulting it, picking it up and roughly handling it.
The teens tried to get the alligator’s snout to cling to a can of alcoholic iced tea
In another frame, the animal was seen with an aluminum can of alcoholic iced tea attached to its snout in an attempt to get it to consume some of the drink.
The footage showing the pair harassing and illegally handling a young gator was sent to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which has since filed charges against one of the boys seen in the footage.
The video was recorded by Lexxus Thomas, who witnessed the couple abusing the creature.
“They threw it around and force-fed it Twisted Teas. Basically tormenting the little thing,” Thomas explained WTSP. “The group caused the crocodile suffering.
Lexxus Thomas, pictured, told the boys to stop, but they continued their cruel treatment
Thomas passed the footage on to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
The baby aligator was found in a Tampa parking lot and suddenly became the plaything of two teenage boys who began picking it up and abusing the reptile
“We went up to them and said it wasn’t funny, but they laughed right in our faces. My main goal was for the children’s parents to see the video,’ explains Thomas.
The FWC released a statement over the weekend, acknowledging the video and noting that an investigation had begun into the teens involved.
“The lack of respect and responsibility towards this animal was disheartening,” Major Rob Rowe said.
“Our officer displayed exceptional investigative skills and quickly identified the individuals involved in this abusive and illegal conduct. We are committed to preserving Florida’s diverse flora and fauna, and this serves as a strong reminder of the consequences of such actions.”
Thomas said she was glad the FWC had taken it upon themselves to press charges in hopes others might think twice before mistreating animals, although she had hoped the whole group would suffer the consequences rather than one individual .
The FWC does not recommend handling alligators, even when they are small, due to the dangerous nature of their bites.