BRANDON, Fla. (WFLA) — An alligator residing in the Lumsden Reserve neighborhood has had its mouth taped shut since December.
Neighborhood resident Amber Lock, who shared photos of the alligator with 8 On Your Side, calls the actions “inhumane.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Lock said nobody had visited her neighborhood’s retention pond to capture the reptile and relieve it of the conditions.
Lock said she believes the animal’s mouth was taped shut when a trapper attempted to remove the alligator, but it’s unclear why the animal was left there.
An agency spokeswoman explained the delay was due to “confusion caused by two different permit requests made to two different trappers by members of the public.”
She said a trapper went to the location on Feb. 11 and saw the gator, but it disappeared from view anytime anyone came close to the water.
A new permit was issued on Feb. 12. The spokeswoman said they’re sending a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to the location to remove it from the area.
