Share and Follow
BRANDON, Fla. (WFLA) — An alligator that’s been living in the Lumsden Reserve neighborhood with its mouth taped shut since December has finally been captured.
The alligator was officially captured on Thursday after previous attempts were made to extract the gator from the area failed.
Before the animal was captured, neighborhood resident Amber Lock shared photos of the alligator with 8 On Your Side. She called the action “inhumane.”
Lock told reporters on Tuesday afternoon that nobody had visited her neighborhood’s retention pond to capture to reptile relieve it of the conditions.
It was previously reported that locked believed the animal’s mouth was taped shut when a trapper attempted to remove the alligator, but it’s unclear why the animal was left there.
Read Related Also: Fire breaks out at Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office training center
An agency spokeswoman explained the delay was due to “confusion caused by two different permit requests made to two different trappers by members of the public.”
She said a trapper went to the location on Feb. 11 and saw the gator, but it disappeared from view anytime anyone came close to the water.
A new permit was issued on Feb. 12. The spokeswoman said they’re sending a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to the location to remove it from the area.
According to reports, the animal is being taken to a rehabilitation facility.
