6-Foot Alligator Found Dead With a Gunshot Wound on the Head in Georgia; Wildlife Biologist Shares What Possibly Happened

An alligator was found dead on the roadside in Georgia. It had a gunshot wound on its head.

Dead Alligator Found in Georgia

The residents in Georgia were surprised to find a dead 6-foot gator lying on the side of the road in Coffee County, near Douglas. Upon closer inspection, there were signs of a vehicle strike and a fresh gunshot wound on the side of its head, Newsweek reported.

On March 23, at noon, Georgia's Department of Natural Resources officials were called to the scene on Hebron Church Road. Game Warden Luke Rabun told Newsweek that based on the timeline of the calls, the gator was hit by a vehicle, and passing motorists probably killed it out of mercy.

Senior Wildlife Biologist Greg Nelms said the initial report suggested that the beast was alive but had difficulty moving. By the time the staff arrived at the site, the alligator was already dead.

Nelms echoed Rabun's speculations about the gator's death. According to him, these reptiles are resilient and can live for hours, even with serious wounds. It's possible that someone passed it multiple times that day and decided to end its torment.

Nelms added that alligators are common in the said area of Coffee County because there are a lot of farm ponds there, and gators often leave the natural wetlands to make use of ponds. The movement often requires them to cross the road; sometimes, they get run over.

Rabun said in roadkill accidents; the animal is usually too far gone to be used for food or other purposes. However, in the recent incident, it was still fresh enough to be donated. So, they gave the gator to a family in the community.

Nelms said further investigation was not warranted. Rabun added that it was just another roadkill case, which was made interesting by someone who decided to end the gator's misery.

Is Killing Alligators Illegal?

Alligators are still protected under federal law. When they were heading toward extinction, it was illegal to kill them, but laws have considerably changed since their population has recovered.

In 1973, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the American alligator protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), passed by both houses of Congress and signed by President Nixon. Under the ESA, alligators could not be killed wherever they lived within their geographic area. Human interactions with alligators are regulated by different states, according to the University of Georgia.

Alligator hunting is legal in Georgia during the hunting season. But one has to secure a permit and follow the rules because only a limited number of hunters are allowed, and there are specified hunt zones. This is to ensure that the number of animals harvested is closely monitored.

The illegal killing of alligators is prohibited. Last year, two Georgia men faced charges after they shot and killed an alligator illegally near Augusta.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources received a call when the men were seen loading the 11-foot gator into the back of their pickup truck. Officers charted the two men with hunting alligators out of season, WSBTV reported.

Check out more news and information on Alligators in Science Times.