Last month, airboat captain Wallace Weatherholt lost his hand when an alligator bit it off at the wrist. Then, as if that's not bad enough, he's now being charged with unlawful feeding of a wild animal:
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After the attack, Florida Fish and Wildlife officers began an investigation into whether the captain had fed or provoked the alligator, leading to the attack.
In an interview shortly after the attack, FWC spokeswoman Carli Segelson said that there had been allegations of that happening.
The Associated Press reports that airboat passengers stated Weatherholt hung a fish over the side of the boat and had his hand at the water’s surface when the alligator attacked.
Feeding alligators is illegal. Those who feed an alligator face a second-degree misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $500 and possible jail time.
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Newest 5 Comments
Fine the idiot.
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definitely charge the guy. Feeding a gator encourages them to come close to humans in future encounters. He also cost the area he was in for the emergency services, as well as potentially putting emergency service workers in harms way if they needed to be called to the scene.
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They can't take him to court - he wouldn't be able to take hold of the book and swear on it :)
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Why didn't the cops taze him? He was obviously trying to escape when he slipped out of the cuffs.
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If the magistrate has any sense of humor at all, the charge should be "Illegal Hand Feeding" of wildlife.
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