The alligator was undoubtedly headless, but there was no topless bar.
A lone alligator carcass that was missing both its head and tail after it unexplainably surfaced in a canal in southeast Florida has left wildlife officials baffled.
Gloria Baenen, a resident of Cape Coral, and her friend found the guillotined gator on May 13 after she detected a “strong, fishy odor” close to her pontoon boat moored in one of the area’s numerous canals.
“Outside here, we see stingrays and dolphins numerous times,” Baenen stated. “Never a gator — and never like this.”
She went on to say, “Someone said there was a gator but no head. I found it — belly-up, floating near the boat.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived to examine the deceased animal after she informed them.
FWC officials used scent dogs to find the reptile’s remains after they had drifted off. The dogs quickly found its body, which was mostly reduced to bones and encircled by a cloud of flies.
In order to give the decapitated gator’s remains more time to decompose, the officials dragged it out of the canal and into deeper water.
“A FWC officer responded to the scene to investigate the incident. This is currently still an active investigation,” FWC officials stated. “It is worth noting that it is illegal to harvest or possess an alligator outside of alligator hunting season.”
Florida’s alligator hunting season, which lasts from August 15 to November 1, is restricted to certain areas and is only available to permit holders who are at least 18 years old. By the end of the season, hunters must also notify the authorities of any alligator kills.
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Permits are notoriously hard to come by.
“The Statewide Alligator Hunt is a highly sought after limited entry hunt; there are often more than 15,000 applicants that will apply for approximately 7,000 permits,” according to the Florida wildlife officials.
Residents are worried that an illegal hunter or poacher might be hiding nearby after the headless gator was found.
Hunters view alligator skulls and heads as a prized trophy. While alligator tails are frequently used in culinary preparations and are prized for their succulent meat, reptile noggins are also offered for sale online as trinkets.
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The disturbing discovery of mangled alligators missing their heads and limbs in Fort Myers Shores, which is roughly 20 miles from Cape Coral, in 2024 was comparable to what was found last week. Those carcasses also baffled state officials.
Baenen wondered, “I don’t understand how a headless alligator could be so newsworthy, but it’s kind of cool.”
