Alligator found in Sunrise injured by arrow euthanized

7-foot alligator found in street early Wednesday morning

SUNRISE, Fla. – An alligator was euthanized after it was found Wednesday morning shot by an arrow in Sunrise.

The 7-foot alligator was discovered by neighbors in the 5900 block of Northwest 13th Street. They called called police.

A short time later, a trapper licensed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived to haul the alligator away.

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"He's a long way from water," trapper Bill Gilmartin said. "He had an arrow on his side and we needed to get him out of here."

Gilmartin believes the alligator came from a canal nearby and said it could have been dangerous. 

"This actually could be pretty dangerous," Gilmartin said. "(If) somebody walks in and doesn't see him sitting under the car or something like that, (it) could probably give somebody a heart attack if they see him."

A neighbor, who didn't want to be identified, said she saw police in her neighborhood before spotting the gator walking down the street.

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"It was kind of frightening because it's the first time I've ever seen that so close up and in the open," she said. "It was, like, amazing."

It's unclear how or when the alligator was injured by the arrow.

Gilmartin said one of the main reasons it was euthanized is because it was a nuisance alligator that was injured. Wounded gators can often be more dangerous than those that are healthy. 

It is a felony in Florida to injure or kill an alligator.

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