JACKSONVILLE (AP) — A Jacksonville public safety officer shot and killed an alligator after it ate an 80-pound Husky that was walking with its owner.
City officials said a woman was walking the dog at dusk Tuesday when it ran to the edge of the water near a local shopping center. Alligators usually feed around dusk.
Public safety and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission officers searched for the alligator Wednesday morning. Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Beth Purcell said after discussions about capturing and relocating the alligator, officials decided that in the interest of public safety, the alligator had to be killed. A public safety officer shot the alligator, which disappeared below the surface of the water.
The alligator’s body was recovered later in the afternoon.