PALM BAY, Fla. -- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating another mutilated gator case.
- Mutilated gator found by Palm Bay resident
- 2nd mutilated gator found this year
This gator was found in the middle of a road in southwest Palm Bay.
Brianna Balogh couldn't believe what she almost hit as she returned from late night errands Monday night. "There was a lot of blood there, it made me feel sick," she told Spectrum News.
The headless, tailless gator was in the middle of Pace Road, not far from her home.
Other drivers were stopping to see the gory sight.
"About half mile down the road the tail was there, de-skinned, it was pretty gross," Balogh described.
But how did the mutilated animal get there?
A neighbor's security camera pointed at the intersection sheds some light.
The grainy footage shows what appears to be a large, white truck coming through.
But it's difficult to say if the gator was dumped, or fell off.
Back in early April, another gator was found in the same condition, on a vacant lot on a dead end Rockledge street.
City workers were in the process of removing the dead animal with their claw truck.
In our exclusive video from that scene, you can see and hear the public works employee telling co-workers a license plate was found underneath the carcass.
Spectrum News 13 reported the find to FWC – but to this day they’ve yet to catch the poacher.
Based on that information – and the video from this latest case – FWC says they may be connected.
Whomever is responsible in these two cases – if they are linked - could be facing poaching charges.
Anyone with information is urged to call FWC, or Crime-line at 1-800-423-TIPS.