Alex Becker
In possibly the most Florida story ever, a teenager has been charged with animal cruelty for feeding an alligator alcohol.
As first reported by CBS 10 Tampa Bay, a group of teen boys were hanging out in a shopping center parking lot when they came across a baby alligator. Products of the Florida Public School System, the boys figured the best thing to do was pick up the gator and try to get it drunk.
In photos obtained from another teenage girl in the parking lot, the boys can be seen using the gator’s teeth to make holes for them to shotgun, before dropping the alligator to the ground and pouring a Twisted Tea down its throat.
The girl who witnessed the ordeal take place says the group of boys were “tormenting” the baby gator and tried to get them to stop, yet to no prevail. In her video, the boys are clearly treating the animal like a dog toy, throwing it around and dropping him from over 4-feet off the ground.
The video was posted online in an effort for the boys’ parents to witness their actions, says the teenage witness. However, the video got the attention of the FWC, leading to one of the boys being charged with animal cruelty. It is unknown why only one boy was charged.
Luckily, the gator is suspected of being okay. Thnakfully, the girl’s brother caught the animal after it’s abuse and let it go in a nearby body of water. Hopefully it’s still alive and safe.
I live in Florida and this is one the most on-brand events that has ever happened in this state. Sure, it’s not as bad as the dude on Flakka who was eating homeless guys’ faces off (that’s real), but I think it showcases our hideous way of life better. Teens hanging out in a parking lot drinking Tweas is perfectly normal behavior for Florida. Picking up a baby alligator? Now, maybe I wouldn’t call it “normal behavior,” but it’s in no way shocking. What’s most bizarre is they wasted a perfect Twea trying to make their own baby gator version of Cocaine Bear.
Just because the events aren’t surprising doesn’t mean I condone them. Obviously you shouldn’t ever pick up an alligator, let alone force feed it alcohol. Yet, in my own personal life I’ve encountered extremely similar experiences. In high school, a kid was expelled for capturing baby ducks and feeding them a Red Bull. Turns out, it did not give them wings as I’m pretty sure one ended up dying.
Okay, I got a little off track there. My point is that crazy stuff happens in Florida all the time (usually way worse than this). I’m glad people are finally starting to do something about it. No drastic change is going to happen because of this, but maybe these kids will keep their alcohol to themselves going forward. And that’s really all you can ask for in Florida.
