Florida teen charged with alligator abuse after video goes viral

PLANT CITY, Fla. — Florida wildlife officials charged a teen boy with alligator abuse a few days after hearing reports of a video of the incident spreading on social media.

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Investigating officials found the video, which showed one of the teens chugging an alcoholic beverage from a can that had been jammed into the baby alligator’s mouth, WFLA reported. A few days later, the teen was charged with taking an alligator without a permit, the TV station reported.

The video was taken by Lexxus Thomas, who saw the illegal activity. She said she was at a truck meet-up in Plant City and saw teenagers drinking. She told WTSP that several of the kids were forcing alcohol into the baby gator’s mouth and “tossing it around.”

“They were throwing it around. Force-feeding it Twisted Teas. Basically tormenting the little thing,” Thomas said.

She said she hoped the young people’s parents saw it.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission advises against handling alligators, even small ones, because of the animals’ dangerous bite — and also because it is illegal.

The FWC hopes the charge will send a message.

WFLA showed the video to Vernon Yates, president of Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation. He told WFLA that there were “multiple things in the video that are just wrong,” including the possession of the small gator and dropping it on the hot pavement of a parking lot.

Yates said the baby gator appeared to be in bad shape when he was thrown to the pavement.

“Normally, a little alligator about that size, when he hit the ground he should’ve hit it running,” he said.