Gator sting seeks to root out rogue misfeeders

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has conducted a three-day undercover sting in the Everglades to track down human visitors who feed dangerous items to animals.

Such is the case with Crusty the alligator, whose days are numbered, due to these misfeedings.

The three-metre gator's sweet tooth caused him to go to humans as a source for food - and potentially see them as food.

According to local officials, a Florida man was caught throwing Crusty a fish on July 14 and claimed that he was just trying to get the gator to move by throwing items at him.

The man said he had no intention of feeding Crusty.

Doing so is punishable by a fine and up to 60 days in jail.

The incident prompted Fish and Wildlife Commission workers to try and remove Crusty from Florida's "Alligator Alley."

That's because the workers worry he's become too acclimatized to people and might attack passers-by in the future.

Sadly, once that's done, the commission says Crusty will be euthanized.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission hopes the undercover sting will catch more offenders and keep them from having to put-down more alligators.

Officials estimate there are about two million alligators in Florida.

Photography: University of California Oceans Physics Laboratory

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, July 17 edition