Dog-eating alligator sentenced to death in Florida

Saint Petersburg - Florida state officials have authorized an alligator trapper to shoot a dog-eating alligator in Florida, but the animal has been very elusive so far.

The three-metre (10-foot) reptile has been the subject of a hunt in the St. Petersburg area for two years. The animal was considered a nuisance alligator, which is one longer than four feet who doesn’t retreat from humans. Residents said that, on July 26, the alligator ate a mixed-breed dog called Jett, who was running loose near a canal. A sighting was reported the next morning, but by the time the alligator control agent arrived the animal was gone. The St. Petersburg Times reported that wildlife commission spokesman Gary Morse said he had heard several rumours of dogs being attacked in the area. Charles Carpenter, Pinellas County's alligator control agent, said he asked for, and received, permission from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to shoot the reptile dead. He said he has been trying to trap the reptile for two years, but he is good at not getting caught. He has evaded many traps and hides in places where trapping would be dangerous. He has used the underground drainage system as an escape route. “I've heard a few different stories about him,” he told the St. Petersburg Times. “I just take it with a grain of salt.” He said he would use his semi-automatic pistol or his hunting rifle to kill the alligator. People have contributed to the problem of the reptile becoming a nuisance. There have been reports of people feeding the animal. It is illegal to feed alligators in Florida. “Feeding gators is about the most dangerous thing anyone could do, other than jump in the water and wrestle them,” Morse said.