Wildlife animals aren’t meant for wild experiments. A teenager in Hillsborough County was caught sipping on a Twisted Tea with a small alligator hanging on the tip of the can.
In a video that circulated on social media, the teen lifted up the gator, which was tightly holding onto the can with its jaws and drank from the can. Once he had taken his sip, he dropped the can and the gator on the ground.
Fortunately, the gator wasn’t injured by this poor behavior.
Vernon Yates, the president of Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, stated there could be more going on than what actually got revealed in the short clip. “He’s not very lively. Normally, a little alligator about that size, when he hit the ground, he should’ve hit it running,” Yates said.
Animal abuse is never cool and the teen is now facing criminal charges for not leaving the young gator alone. The FWC has also launched an investigation, resulting in one of the teens being charged for taking the alligator without a permit.
FWC released a statement saying” “The lack of respect and responsibility shown toward this animal was disappointing to see… this serves as a strong reminder of the consequences of such behavior.”
Source: https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/teen-charged-in-plant-city-alligator-abuse-case/