Teen who allegedly chugged alcoholic beverage with baby alligator in hand criminally charged

A young man in Florida who may have gotten carried away while having fun with his friends has been criminally charged after a video appeared to show him chugging an alcoholic beverage with a baby alligator in hand.

On June 22, a video began circulating on social media, appearing to show a group of teens gathered in a parking lot in Plant City, Florida, about 10 miles west of Lakeland. The young people appeared to be having a good time, though reportedly drinking beverages reserved for those over 21. Joining them in their apparent carousal was a baby alligator, which clamped its jaws on a can of Arizona Twisted Tea, described as "hard iced tea."

In the video, a young man in a red shirt grabbed the can with the small alligator still attached and quickly slammed its contents. He then lowered the alligator toward the ground and released him at about knee height. His companion then grabbed the alligator to try and extricate the empty can from its jaws. When that attempt proved unsuccessful, he lifted the gator up. The video then ends. About half of the video can be seen beginning at the 00:26 mark of the WFLA news report below:

Though some were amused by the video, others found it disturbing. The Orlando Weekly called it "the worst kind of clout-chasing video circulating on social media." Vernon Yates, president of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, went further, calling for all those who "touched" the baby gator "to be brought in front of a judge."

Yates may get at least part of his wish. The video reached the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which has now criminally charged the teen in the red shirt with taking the alligator without a permit. The FWC website claims that in Florida, "live American alligators cannot be taken from the wild without a valid Alligator Trapping License."

"The lack of respect and responsibility shown toward this animal was disappointing to see….this serves as a strong reminder of the consequences of such behavior," said a statement from FWC, according to WFLA.

Some, including Yates, have also hinted that the alligator involved in the incident suffered some kind of abuse. The teen was "wrong to just drop it on the hot pavement like that," he said, adding later, "[The gator is] not very lively. Normally, a little alligator about that size, when he hit the ground he should’ve hit it running." The woman who took the video also alleged that the teens had been throwing the animal around and had even forced it to consume alcohol.

Despite those concerns, the alligator was located and transported to an area retention pond where it seemed to be doing just fine, the FWC claimed.

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