Alligator Bites Off Tour Boat Captain’s Hand, Captain To Face Fine For Feeding Alligators

An alligator in Florida has bitten off a tour boat captain’s hand as a group of tourists looked on.

Jorge Pino, a spokesman for the state Fish and Wildlife authority, revealed the captain was attempting to feed gators marshmallows, in a bid to entertain his passengers.

The boat was carrying six tourists late on Tuesday when the alligator pounced, taking the sweets from the captain’s fingers … and his entire hand.

The alligator was tracked down and killed (in my opinion, rather unfairly – if the man’s gonna dangle marshmallows he should know those things are freakin’ delicious), and the hand extracted from its stomach. Alas, doctors at a Tampa hospital were unable to reattach the now-mangled, partly digested limb.

The hospitalized captain will be getting plenty of symphathy right about now – but not from THE LAW. Nope, it seems Captain Marshmallows faces the possibility of a $500 fine or six months in prison, because feeding alligators is an offence in Florida. Oh dear. All in all, not the greatest day at the office swamp.

The boat was operated by Doug’s Everglades Tours, one of numerous companies that ferry tourists up and down Florida’s popular, subtropical wetlands.