FLORESVILLE, Texas – A 12-foot alligator spotted in Wilson County on Thursday was put down because of its "size and stressed condition," a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesman said in a statement Friday morning.
The estimated 400-pound gator was found walking down FM 546 just outside Floresville.
Parks and Wildlife officials were contacted and captured the animal, which was later put down. Neighbor Rodolfo Gonzales captured most of the action on his cellphone, including when the alligator was fatally shot.
After KSAT 12 aired the story Thursday night, many people took to social media, questioning why it was necessary for the animal to be killed.
In response, the department issued the following statement:
Our game wardens are trained to assess nuisance wildlife incidents with regard to the public's safety and that of the animal. We make every effort to save the animal and relocate it back into its natural habitat. In the case involving this alligator, it was determined in consultation with an experienced permitted nuisance alligator control hunter that removal and relocation was not possible due to the size and stressed condition of the animal.