FWC addresses disembodied alligator carcasses found in canal

Disembodied alligator carcasses have been found floating in a Fort Myers canal, causing neighbors to become upset about the lack of initiative to prevent this issue.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been called to help investigate the cause and possible culprit of this horrendous crime.

“We will know there may be a larger issue, and we need to monitor that for any potential future violations,” said FWC law enforcement division public information officer Bradley Johnson.

• RELATED: Alligator carcasses have been popping up in Fort Myers canals

The dismembered gators found in the Caribbean Canal in Fort Myers Shores have provoked questions as to why the animals were left in that condition.

“Typically, when someone harvests an alligator for use, they use components from the tail for meat and the head,” said Bradley. When we see those pieces removed from an alligator carcass, it often indicates a human harvested it.”

WINK News spoke with neighbors about the upsetting nature of seeing alligators in the conditions they were discovered in.

“My wife and I went for a little boat cruise on Saturday evening, and we saw something floating in the middle of the canal,” said witness Jason Weidner. “Medium-sized alligator whose head was missing, tail was missing, and feet were missing, and the neighbor came, and we were talking and said, what are those over there? And I went over there and saw two more.”

According to the FWC, 23 reports for alligator-related violations, including harvesting.

WINK News contacted Frank Robb, or “Alligator Rob,” an environmental education awareness research support and services representative, about offering a different perspective on the dismemberments.

“It’s the dark side of things with alligators. Sometimes, it is poaching and people taking trophies. It’s unfortunate, and this is a fairly protected animal for a reason. They are a keystone species. They’re very important and are a vital animal to our local environment,” said Robb.

The FWC is investigating what happened to the three dead alligators here at the canal; however, representatives have stated the difficulty in catching the suspects associated with the crime.

The FWC relies on public information to aid in difficult cases. If you have any information regarding the dismembered reptiles, click here.