Gator Busted Chomping On Stolen Watermelon

HENDRY COUNTY, FL — Alligators are known to nosh on fish, snakes, small mammals and the occasional human, but that doesn’t mean they can’t develop a taste for the sweeter things in life.

At least that was the case in Hendry County recently when a watermelon farmer discovered a rather sizable gator was responsible for thinning crops. The Florida Agricultural Crimes Intelligence Unit, it seems, was called out to the scene and managed to get photographic evidence of the crime in action.

It's unclear if the gator will face petty theft charges. Hendry County’s agricultural deputies were out of the office on training Monday, so they were unavailable to confirm or deny whether the critter was at least hauled in for questioning in the case.

Alligators tend to make a lot of headlines during the warmer months as they take advantage of the weather to stretch their legs and explore their surroundings.

While run-ins with humans and small animals typically dominate alligator-related news this time of year, a watermelon chomping gator is a bit of a rarity. Even so, a Polk County woman has reported that her pet alligator, Rambo, has a taste for Butterfinger candy bars.

See Also:

• Gator Bites Off Man’s Arm
• 11-Foot Gator Eats Burglar
• Gator Chomps On Hunter’s Thumbs
• Florida Woman Fights To Keep Pet Gator
• Florida Gators On The Move As Temperatures Rise

Last week, a Lakeland man had a less-than-desirable encounter with an alligator. In that case, the 21-year-old went into a lake and emerged with part of his arm missing, authorities reported.

Despite the state’s bustling alligator population, serious attacks and fatalities are not common in Florida. Between 1948 and 2013, there were 22 fatalities recorded, according to FWC records. During that period, a total of 122 minor bites and 235 major bites were also logged. The last fatal alligator attack on record prior to this year occurred in 2007.

Alligator-related human fatalities might not be common, but encounters with the creatures are. Those encounters add up to so many over the course of any given year that the state has set up its own hotline to accept nuisance alligator calls. That number is 1-866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).

In 2013 alone, the state fielded 15,036 nuisance alligator calls, which resulted in the removal of 6,605 creatures.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Agricultural Crimes Intelligence Unit