FL Man Accused Of Lassoing 9-Foot Gator, Tying It To A Rail: Reports

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL — Brevard County deputies claim a man lassoed a 9-foot alligator by its jaw, tied the reptile to a handrail suspending over a canal and told 911 that is how he found the alligator, reports say.

When Cape Canaveral's Robert Colin called 911 about the alligator Wednesday, it was done so as a joke, he told News 6.

Photos secured by Fox 13 show the alligator floating in the water with its mouth ajar as it appears to be tied to a white rope.

Colin told the news outlet that the alligator had been eating turtles, including turtle babies, for the last three years. Colin had been feeding the turtles, and even the alligators on occasion; and despite his calls to animal control, he received no response, Fox 13 reported.

Brevard County Jail records show Colin was charged on suspicion of killing, injuring or possessing gator or egg without authority. He was arrested around noon Wednesday and was released around 11 p.m. on a $2,500 bond, jail records show.

Florida has a statewide nuisance alligator program, which serves to "address alligator threats in developed areas, while conserving alligators in areas where they naturally occur."

American alligators are federally protected and considered a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

Read more via Fox 13 and News 6.