10-foot, 8-inch Georgia alligator killed, leading to charges

A dead alligator got the better of two hapless poachers in Georgia when it somehow managed to break out the rear window of their pickup, according to the Law Enforcement Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

It happened Saturday, April 30, at New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam Park in Richmond County, and investigators theorize the window shattered when the suspects tried cramming a 10-foot, 8-inch alligator into a truck bed about half that size.

A photo shared by the division shows the reptile fit only after the tail had been folded — and the snout was precariously propped up against the busted window.

Investigators say they were tipped off to an illegal kill when someone reported “subjects were attempting to load a large alligator into a truck” near the park entrance.

Alligator hunting season in Georgia runs from sunset Aug. 20 to sunrise Oct. 4, so any dead alligator found in May needs an explanation.

A Richmond County sheriff’s deputy and a wildlife officer converged on the scene, and the wildlife officer “was able to gather enough info to charge two subjects with hunting alligator out of season.” (Only one suspect was found with the truck, officials said.)

The identities of the suspects and details of how they encountered the alligator were not released.

Poaching is misdemeanor in Georgia, carrying a maximum of one year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine, the state says.

The fate of the carcass was not provided, but fresh alligators seldom go to waste, according to Mark McKinnon, public affairs officer for Georgia DNR’s Law Enforcement Division.

“If the animal is fresh enough to be processed for food, it is taken to a local processor and the meat is donated to a needy family or children’s home in the area. If it can’t be processed for consumption, it is disposed of properly,” he told McClatchy News.

It is alligator mating season in the southeast, a time when males are prone to show up in roads as they search for females, experts say.

Males can reach 16 feet and weigh 800 pounds in Georgia, the state says. However, the average is 13 to 14.7 feet, with their tail accounting for half their length, according to the Georgia Aquarium.

This story was originally published May 3, 2022 2:19 PM.