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On Friday, July 22,
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
Officers arrested a Charlotte County couple for
deliberately feeding an alligator; an offense that the
agency s
alligator experts say is often associated with fatal
attacks against humans.
James Johnny Jones, 35,
and Jackie ONeil, 35, of both of the same Punta
Gorda address, were charged with feeding alligators, a
second degree misdemeanor punishable by up to $500
and/or 60
days in jail.
" When
fed, alligators quickly lose their natural fear of
people and begin to associate human presence with a
feeding opportunity. This altered behavior creates a
significant danger that jeopardizes the safety of
anyone who may come into contact with that animal,
said
Harry Dutton, head of the FWC alligator management
section.
FWC Officers Donna Caro,
Jason Forker and Investigator Larry Jernstedt acted on
a tip from an anonymous source who had witnessed a
man, a woman and two children feeding an alligator
from a boat on the Peace River. When they received
another call from the anonymous source that the couple
had returned, officers staked out the area and were
able to video and photograph the feeding.
The arrests were made
at about 1:30 p.m. on a portion of the river known as
Jim Long Lake. FWC trappers were dispatched
immediately and removed two aggressive alligators, 8
foot 9 inches and 5 foot 11 inches in length, from the
area.
Jones is a legally
licensed commercial crab fisherman. A check revealed
Jones had an active warrant from Charlotte County for |
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unspecified
charges. He was transported to Charlotte
County jail for those charges by a sheriffs
deputy.
Jones
and O
Neils
arrest comes in the wake of an unrelated fatal
alligator attack that occurred in nearby Port
Charlotte a week earlier. On the evening of
July 15, Kevin Albert Murray, 41, of North
Port was swimming in a canal off the Myakka
River when a 12-foot-2-inch alligator attacked
and killed him. Residents of the area claimed
that the alligator had been fed.
It is illegal
to feed alligators and the FWC strongly
recommends not feeding other wildlife where
alligators might be present. Feeding ducks,
turtles or throwing fish scraps in the water
where alligators can associate humans with a
feeding opportunity, is tantamount to feeding
an alligator. Information on how to prevent
problems with alligators is listed in the FWCs
Living
with Alligators
brochure found online at MyFWC.com/gators/. |
Anyone having
information about the feeding
of alligators
is urged to report the incident to the
toll free
Wildlife Alert Hotline at (888) 404-3922.
Those reporting violations may remain
anonymous and be eligible for a reward.
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