Since June, POACH officers have charged 23 people in five counties with feeding, chasing or handling wild alligators, most of them for a clip filmed on a phone. Eleven of the videos had more than a million views.
Alligators that are fed or played with lose their fear of people. That is how they end up in a pool or a school yard, and how a trapper ends up called to remove them.
What the law says
- Feeding a wild alligator is a misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $500
- Touching, chasing, riding or wrestling one is harassment, camera or not
- Capturing or keeping one needs a trapper license
- Posting the video can be used as evidence
Leonida has the most photogenic wildlife in the country. Take the picture from thirty feet and keep the rest of your arm.
To report someone harassing wildlife, call or text the Wildlife Alert line, 1-888-555-0131. For an alligator where it should not be, call the Nuisance Alligator Hotline, 1-866-555-0128.
