[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] Four gator carcasses found in two days

Four gator carcasses found in two days

Oct 03, 2012 6:38 PM EDT
By Kelly Creswell, NBC2 Reporter - bio | email

CAPE CORAL -

Two dead gators were found in a Cape Coral canal - both with the head and tail cut off. A student heading home from his bus stop discovered the carcasses.

The student says he noticed the distinct smell near the corner of SW 20th Avenue and SW 25th Street.

"Rotten flesh and bodies," Chandler Semrick described. "Its head and tail was gone, it was very odd."

On Tuesday, the Cape Coral Police Department contacted Waste Pro to remove two smaller gators from a vacant lot right around the corner.

"We are contracted to remove all dead animals from the roadway and on the curb. We do that, but from in the middle of a canal, we usually don't do that. But this time, we took care of the Cape Coral residents," said Cape Coral Waste Pro supervisor Troy Gross.

Rotting in the hot Florida sun, no one knows how the gators surfaced. But the strong stench couldn't hide from behind the tall grasses and trees.

Waste Pro crews fished out the carcasses and got rid of the neighborhood nuisance.

They're used to picking up a dead gator once every few months. But Gross says finding four gators in two days is strange.

"If they have a license, please dispose of the carcass the right way. Just don't throw it in the canal. It's a real nuisance for the neighborhood, the smell, it's just nasty," he said.

If someone is caught illegally hunting gators, they could face a second degree misdemeanor or third degree felony.

If anyone knows any information about this incident, they can call FWC's wildlife hotline at 888-404-3922. They can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward.