Nuisance alligators on the rise in Florida
With April comes the start of alligator mating season, meaning more aggressive gators on the prowl, and that’s not sitting well with residents of the Sunshine State. Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Commission says over 7,000 nuisance alligators had to be killed or relocated last year, compared to 6,700 in 2017.
A Florida man who allegedly resisted arrest after being reported for illegally feeding an alligator he named Hank has described the 10-foot reptile as "a good friend" who "loves bagels."
Paul Fortin, 67, was issued a citation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) over the incident at a Daytona Beach pond in May. Fortin didn't comply and was arrested by police for refusing to accept the citation and resisting an officer without violence, according to jail records.
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“It's illegal. It’s totally illegal to do it. Did I know it? No. Did I know I couldn’t feed a turtle? Alligators, yeah, I kind of knew that,” Fortin told Orlando station WKMG-TV. “I don't know, maybe I'm Dr. Doolittle."
Fortin said he liked to feed his "good friend" Hank the alligator bagels at a local pond in Daytona Beach. (Volusia County Jail)
Fortin, who says he is a disabled veteran, was caught after a neighbor alerted FWC officials to a video purportedly showing the 67-year-old feeding and petting the alligator, according to the station.
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"He just sits there and he loves bagels,” Fortin said.
The FWC warns to never feed an alligator and to "keep your distance if you see one." Feeding wildlife can lead to dangerous interactions with humans in the future.
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