In Hardee County, around 110 kilometers southeast of Tampa, Florida, a memorable accident occurred over the weekend: Two teenagers were driving a van when it tipped on its side for an unexplained cause.
The young people weren't alone - they had two alligators with them.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) published photos of the lifeless animals lying on a grass verge and the accident vehicle on their Facebook page at the weekend.
"When our officer was asked to assist in an accident involving two alligators, he didn't know what to expect," says the comment on the pictures.
On site, he then saw two alligators hanging out of the rear window of an SUV.
One about two, the other about two and a half meters long.
The vehicle was lying on its side.
The animal rescuer immediately took the reptiles out of the car.
Because one of the animals was still moving, he closed their mouths with tape for safety reasons.
Both alligators were dead shortly afterwards. In an interview, one of the two vehicle occupants admitted to having injured the alligators during a fishing trip.
The local sheriff temporarily detained the two 17 and 18 year olds.
You now have to answer for an administrative offense - the illegal transport of the alligators.
Killed with a stone
It has not yet been clarified what the young people planned to do with the animals.
According to his own account, the younger man tried to kill the alligators with a large stone because they had disturbed him while fishing.
An estimated 1.3 million alligators live in Florida, mostly in the Everglades swamps.
The animals are also being spotted on the streets more and more frequently.
Just last month, a driver from Collier County found a two-meter-long alligator under his car. In April 2020, a 2.70-meter-long reptile had stopped traffic in Manatee County.
Humans and alligators most often come together in the rainy months from April when the mating season begins.
However, the FWC advises anglers and boaters to be vigilant all year round.
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