Alligator foot in dashboard leads to citation, FWC says

LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. – A man was cited for illegally killing an alligator after Florida wildlife officials spotted gator parts throughout the cab of his truck, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Monday.

The FWC said the incident happened at the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area near Loxahatchee.

The FWC said Officers Luis Merizio and Casey Schroer stopped a truck to check for the driver's day-use pass and noticed alligator parts scattered throughout the vehicle. Officers said they noticed an alligator foot hanging out of an opening on the dashboard and several alligator parts in the ashtray. They said another alligator foot was in the bed of the truck.

The driver said the parts were from an alligator that he hunted a few years ago, but the officers said they could smell that the alligator was recently killed, the FWC said.

After officers read him his rights, the man confessed to killing the alligator a few days earlier without a permit, and he was cited for the violation.

When asked about the alligator meat, the man said it was in his freezer at home, according to the FWC.

The FWC said anyone who thinks an alligator has been taken illegally can call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC.