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By Samantha Berlin
Writer, Trends
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Connecticut teens who were visiting Hilton Head, South Carolina, with family told police they were "bored" when they decided to wrangle an alligator in the backyard of a rental property.
The teens, aged 16, 16, and 19, allegedly tied one end of a nylon rope to a fence and the other around the neck and arm of a young, five-foot-long gator, The Island Packet reported.
Officers told IP that the teens saw the gator swimming in the backyard pond and, "driven by boredom," decided to capture the reptile.
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Don't Touch the Gator
American alligators are often found residing in coastal wetlands along the southeastern U.S., with populations ranging from Florida to North Carolina, according to the National Wildlife Federation.
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In South Carolina, like in many other states, it is illegal to feed, harass, hunt, or trap alligators without a permit due to federal protections.
The Department of Natural Resources in South Carolina recommends that alligator trapping be left to professionals, including trained nuisance alligator trappers.
Individuals who attempt to trap an alligator without a permit or outside of the state's official hunting season can face potential citations.
The Capture
According to a spokesperson for the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, the teens threw objects at the gator until it approached the rope and swam through the slipknot.
Once the animal was captured, it reportedly attempted to free itself but was unable, further tangling itself in the rope. It is unclear if the alligator was injured.
Officers reportedly cut the cord from the gator's neck and released it back into the pond before issuing citations to the teens involved.
Each citation from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources cost $260, IP reported.
According to the town's official website, gators are often seen sitting on the sides of ponds and irrigation canals—and in salt water on a few occasions—around Hilton Head.
Newsweek reached out to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office for comment.
Other Alligator Stories
A Florida man was recently bit in the face by an alligator while he was trying to enjoy a swim, and in July, a North Carolina family reported being tormented by an enormous alligator.
Another individual who fell victim to the torment of an alligator recently wrote about his experience.
"My head got ripped down to the left very forcibly and I felt my hand being pulled too," the man recalled. "I didn't feel any pain, but everything was hazy and I had lost hearing in my left ear."
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