Hillsborough County resident finds alligator with taped mouth in local pond

(WSVN) — An alligator with its mouth taped shut has been spotted in a Florida pond.

Amber Locke, who lives in the area, kept an eye on him and hoped that rescuers would soon be able to help the animal.

“I just think about what he will eat when he finally shoots the film,” she said.

Locke said that this alligator has been in the Hillsborough County pond in this condition since December.

“Whoever tried to catch him and put duct tape on his mouth obviously lost him, and that’s what started it all,” Locke said. “But no, we didn’t have any problems that we didn’t have, like animals.”

She contacted the Homeowners Association, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Service, and other local hunters hoping to find a solution, but it wasn’t easy due to permit restrictions.

“I feel like this animal has been suffering for two months now and this is simply unacceptable,” Locke said.

Martha Rivera, an Everglades conservation expert, said the alligator was affected by the tape wrapped around its mouth.

“He is losing weight. He’s dehydrated,” she said. “You know, if this alligator is in a sump, then the trapper who went there definitely shouldn’t have left him, especially with a tape on his mouth. On top of that, you also have the fact that this tape stains their skin.”

She mentioned that an alligator’s mouth is usually sealed with tape for safety during transport, but this is not intended for long-term use.

“Someone has to come back and get this alligator,” Rivera said. “You can’t leave him there with his mouth sealed. It’s also inhuman.”

Lok is determined to help the alligator.

“I made a vow to myself that I would not stop until he was rescued because this is so wrong,” she said.

The FWC has contracts with alligator hunters to remove reptiles in situations like this.

No word yet on what will happen next with this alligator.

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