This is the astonishing moment two large alligators are found tied up alive in the trunk of a poacher’s car following an undercover operation filmed by police in Brazil.
The reptiles, one measuring about a metre long and the other around two metres, had a narrow escape from a New Year’s Eve dinner table as they were due to be killed and barbecued, according to agents.
Both gators had allegedly been poached from Lake Novo in Tartarugalzinho, in northern Brazil, on Thursday night.
Environmental police caught the suspect with his illegal cargo at dawn as they stopped him to inspect his car in the upland marshy area.
Lieutenant Bryan Fonseca said: ‘The driver tried to circumvent the surveillance by saying he wasn’t carrying anything in the back of his vehicle.
‘However, when we opened the trunk, we found two alligators. They were tied up and wrapped in plastic bags.
‘We told him to take them out and place them on the ground. The creatures looked like they were in a state of shock after being trapped and thrown into a dark boot because they didn’t fight, struggle or react.
‘The suspect told us he was on his way to Macapa where the animals would be consumed at a supper at the turn of the year.’
Two large alligators were found tied up but still alive in the back of a poachers car, in footage filmed by undercover police in Brazil
According to officers, Macapa, the capital of Amapa state, is a 203km (130 mile) journey and it is unlikely the helpless beasts would have survived the distance.
Lt Fonseca said: ‘The driver has been charged with an environmental crime, which prohibits hunting, catching, transporting and killing any wildlife species without the permission or knowledge of the competent authorities.’
The unnamed suspect faces a prison term of up to a year if found guilty.
After inspecting the beasts, environmental agents found the gators had experienced no serious injury. Both were released back into their natural habitat.
The reptiles, one measuring about a metre long and the other around two metres, had a narrow escape from a New Year’s Eve dinner table as they were due to be killed and barbecued
Both gators had allegedly been poached from Lake Novo in Tartarugalzinho, in northern Brazil, on Thursday night