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11-foot alligator's shooting death under criminal investigation
Texas authorities have launched a criminal investigation after a family found a large alligator shot and killed in Liberty County. FOX 26's Jillian Hartmann spoke to the family that found the gator and learned why the killing is deemed illegal.
LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas - Texas Game Wardens are investigating the illegal killing of a nearly 12-foot alligator in northwest Liberty County.
Liberty County: Family finds alligator shot in the head
What we know:
A family said they found the gator floating along the East Fork of the San Jacinto River in July after it was shot in the head. It was discovered near Low Water Bridge in the Cleveland area.
Cody Duncan said about two weeks ago, he was swimming with his kids in the river when they noticed the alligator.
"We're just down there swimming. We go down there all the time. I knew the gator was there. I've seen it a bunch of times, but he's never bothered us or somebody where we swim," Duncan said.
Duncan said his youngest son noticed the alligator floating belly up and told him about it. Duncan pulled the gator to shore and called authorities.
"I threw some rocks around him and stuff to make sure he wasn't faking, and then I walked out there and grabbed him by his tail and pulled him up onto the bank," Duncan said. "That's when I noticed he had two gunshot wounds to his head. One hit him directly in the center of his head. I wasn't happy about it. Whoever killed him, they did it out of cruelty. He wasn't bothering anybody."
SIMILAR: Large alligator with ‘old bullet hole’ found lounging in Texas pool
Investigation underway
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is handling the case. The Texas Game Wardens are working to identify who is responsible for the illegal killing.
Why you should care:
Authorities said this was not a legal harvest.
Captain Ryan Hall with the Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden Beaumont Law Enforcement Office, said: "This alligator was killed in public. It was killed in a natural habitat in the river. This wasn’t a private property issue where somebody had a problem with it. This is an alligator who's minding its own business out in the wild. It's absolutely not allowed. There’s not a legal way to do what happened. We’re going to investigate it and prosecute.
Captain Hall said people should not take matters into their own hands. Instead, they should give the animal space and contact a local game warden to evaluate the situation.
Anything with information on this case is urged to call Texas Parks and Wildlife at 512-389-4848.
Texas alligator hunting rules
What you can do:
Alligators are protected by state and federal law, and there are severe penalties.
With alligator hunting season approaching, Texas has two alligator hunting seasons, depending on the county.
The main season runs from September 10 through September 30 in the state's core counties, which includes areas along the Gulf Coast and East Texas.
Hunters must have a valid Texas hunting license and a CITES tag. Hall said alligators may only be harvested on private property.
Here is a full list of alligator hunting rules and regulations.
The Source: Witness Cody Duncan and Texas Parks and Wildlife Captain Ryan Hall