Florida alligator poachers facing third-degree felony, FWC says

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) released an image showing a 6-foot gator that the agency says was illegally killed by two alleged poachers in Sarasota County. 

A road ranger reported seeing the poachers loading the dead animal in their truck off I-75.  The two men Ricardo Rodriguez and Ricardo Lopez Perez were tracked to Manatee County and arrested. They're both facing a third-degree felony. 

FWC released an image of an alligator that was killed illegally. 

READ: Gator captured after going for a dip in Pinellas County pool

"There's a hunting season for a reason, you shouldn’t take any animal outside those seasons," said Dan Costell, ZooTampa Associate Curator of Reptiles. 

Alligators are a protected species. It’s illegal to kill one outside of gator hunting season in Florida, unless it's deemed a threat by FWC and at that point they'll bring in a state-certified trapper. 

"These guys are apex predators they keep down the population of nuisance species raccoons, opossums and otters," Costell explained. 

Gators are protected in Florida, which means harming them comes with serious consequences. 

READ: Alligator apprehended after lurking around Lakeland parking lot

Alligator hunting season runs from Aug. 15 through Nov. 1. During that time the state hands out about 7,000 permits each allowing hunters to kill two non-hatchling gators. 

"It is frustrating to hear that people are still going outside the law and killing animals," Costell shared.