Officials Charge Man With Harassing Alligator At Golf Resort

Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort / Facebook

An official investigation at the Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort regarding animal harassment has come to an end.

An image began circulating online that shows one person holding the tail of an alligator while another person documents the activity with a smartphone.

On March 27, 2021 the resort had posted the photo on Facebook showing a man holding a large alligator’s tail. Another man appears to be taking a photo of the gator. The resort didn’t give any date as to when the event happened but did say that it was recent.

“We are sharing this incident in hopes that the violators will be found, not to encourage this behavior,” they wrote.

According to the South Carolina Code of Law, it is illegal to “harass, hunt, capture, or kill or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill wildlife.”

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources later identified the man in the photo and is charging him with molesting an alligator, according to spokesperson David Lucas. Molesting an alligator is a misdemeanor charge and carries a fine up to $300 or 30 days in prison. “It’s against the law and this guy is going to pay a pretty hefty price,” Lucas said in a statement. “But the safety issue is so much more serious than that. You could lose your life.”

For information on what you should do in the event you encounter an alligator, watch the video below.