Overview
- Wildlife officials say at least three alligators were shot at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge between May and July, with two found dead and one surviving with an arrow or crossbow fragment.
- Staff and visitors discovered the carcasses and a nesting female on game camera footage, and refuge managers reported signs that a carcass had been violently handled and the head was partly removed.
- Texas Game Wardens have opened a criminal investigation, stepped up randomized patrols on Lake Worth, and are collecting physical evidence including fragments consistent with crossbow or arrow use.
- Operation Game Thief is offering up to $1,000 for anonymous tips leading to an arrest or conviction, and officials ask the public to report information by phone, text or the program’s website or app.
- Alligators are a protected, native keystone species in Texas, hunting is banned on the refuge, and state rules limit alligator taking to regulated seasons, tagging and reporting requirements outside protected areas.