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Alligator Mystery: Gator Apparently Hit By Vehicle On Highway 97
September 19, 2013
A five-foot alligator was found dead on the shoulder of Highway 97 in Walnut Hill Wednesday, apparently struck and killed by a vehicle. But exactly how the alligator got there is a bit of a mystery that’s now under investigation by state law enforcement.
The gator, found just south of North Highway 99 and the Walnut Hill Mennonite Church, had injuries that were consistent with being hit by a vehicle, likely while it was still alive. There were no injuries that would firmly indicate the alligator fell out of a moving vehicle.
While it is currently alligator harvest season in Florida, the gator did not appear to have a harvest tag attached as required by law. But the alligator did have rope tied to at least two legs.
Could the alligator have come from a Walnut Hill waterway?
The nearest body of water, Little Pine Barren Creek, is about 1,000 yards from where the gator was found.
Stan Kirkland, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said it would be unlikely, but entirely possible, that alligators could live in the small creek. Bill Eubanks of Walnut Hill, who owns nearby property along the creek, said he has seen an alligator in the Little Pine Creek, but that sighting was many years ago.
Around midday or early afternoon Wednesday, the alligator’s carcass was removed from the Highway 97 shoulder by an unknown individual.
FWC Lt. Brian Lambert said possessing the untagged alligator carcass is illegal, even for the person that removed the carcass.
Anyone with information about the alligator is asked to call the Florida FWC’s Wildlife Alert Reward Program at 888-404-3922. Callers may be eligible for a cash reward.
Pictured top and inset: This alligator was found dead, apparently hit by a vehicle, alongside Highway 97 in Walnut Hill Wednesday. Pictured below. The highlighted areas show rope tied to two of the gator’s legs. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
19 Responses to “Alligator Mystery: Gator Apparently Hit By Vehicle On Highway 97”
>>Were the pictures submitted by the person who reported this?
Not sure I’m following your question…but these were NorthEscambia.com photos taken by our staff, not submitted photos.
“Around midday or early afternoon Wednesday, the alligator’s carcass was removed from the Highway 97 shoulder by an unknown individual.”
– - –
Were the pictures submitted by the person who reported this?
So is running over the alligator illegal?
About 10 years ago I remember seeing a small gator on Perdido river, about five or six miles above Barrineau Park. We came around a sharp bend at The Spot and the gator quickly slid off the edge of the sand bar and submerged. I guess it was about two feet long.
Real Deal is right about those Cypress Ponds. I remember as a boy my Dad and Uncle fishing one out of a john boat. I was amazed that a ten acre island of swamp could be situated in a soy bean field of several hundred acres. It was about four feet deep and loaded with bass and bream, though I do not remember seeing a gator, it certainly would have been a nice habitat for one.
It would be nice to see an expose on the local Cypress Ponds, I am sure that most everyone would be fascinated.
It has been a number of years ago, but a live gator was in the driveway of one of the houses just before the Mennonite Church. Family had come home from church and it was sitting there. Don’t recall what was done with it, but it was several feet long.
Every time my vehicle hits a gator it always ties em up…..theres your sign
Hopefully this was an accident, but with ropes tied to the legs it does look suspicious. Additionally, whether or not one likes these animals, they were here long before us and absolutely have the right to continue thier existance here. We have no right to say where they should be allowed to exist. We have laws in place to protect them and regulate thier collection. These are in place to benefit both the animal and the people. If you don’t like them don’t move into thier backyard. One would suggest you move where they are not at. This is all to common where people move and say I don’t want that here. We should accept there is wildlife and nature all around us and learn to live in conjunction with it. I hope the guilty are caught. Sorry. I hope I didn’t offend anyone.
I will take this as an omen that my beloved Volunteers will be victorious over the hated Gators this Saturday.
to sheila i do live in lousiana and i see the hit all the time by vehicles and trucks going to intercoastal and other place down here
@ Lady… What does a dead gator on side of the road have to do with you feeling safe to walk through your property???
You who are feeling sorry for the poor gator should talk with people who live in South Florida. They run rampant there and are killed in people yards, etc. to keep them from attacking them or their pets. Another thing you better look for is LARGE
SNAKES (boas, etc.) that people are using for pets then realize they have gotten too big to keep in their homes, so they just turn them loose. Then these large things are found under homes, sheds, in the woods we love to walk thru. This was probably a small alligator at one time and they had to kill and get rid of. This is not a ‘POOR LITTLE THING” that we need t save. We used to be able to walk thru our property for miles and feel safe and now we can’t. What is it going to be 20 years from now? I don’t feel sorry for this ‘POOR LITTLE GATOR”.
It wouldn’t be to unusual for a little gator to be living in one of the many cyprus ponds that are around here (like the one out in the field just west of hwy 97 near where the gator was found ).But according to the rope tied around the gators feet its pretty obvious that it was dumped there .and whether or not it was dumped alive or dead is a different story .personally I would say dumped alive why would you tie up a dead alligater
>>Well that gater did not die from being struck by a vehicle
How can you be so sure?
Was likely a volunteer fan getting ready for the weekend.
GO GATORS!!!
Well that gater did not die from being struck by a vehicle. Living on the lousiana bayou’s most of my life, never seen a vehicle kill a gator.
Wow, so sad. My opinion would be it was taken illegly (sp?!) and dumped by the takers. Maybe it got away. I am having visions of some teenagers dragging this poor creature down the road. Now, I am not ahuge fan of alligators where I want to swim. But they are living creatures that have a right to life and should never be tortured. And I know, before anyone flips out, there is no indication of torture. This just my thoughts. I really hope its my imagination working overtime.
I saw that gator on the way to work and was wondering what he was doing near the cotton/soybean field.
Nice boots.
Somebody’s got a nice pair of alligator boots now………