GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida wildlife officials have now killed a nearly 12-foot alligator that swam within inches of a frightened paddleboarder in a popular state park during an encounter in September recorded on video that went viral.
Officials say the male alligator was shot in the head one evening near dusk last month by a trapper contracted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The alligator had been a popular curiosity among kayakers and paddleboarders in Silver Springs State Park, where it was often seen lounging in the sun along the banks of the Silver River. The park enforces a no-swimming rule.
