A large alligator was found tied to a tree in a neighborhood in southwest Miami-Dade Thursday.
The 9-foot gator was found by a resident in the Snapper Creek Village Townhomes in the area of Sunset Drive and 117th Street in Kendall.
Footage showed the gator tied up to a tree near a canal behind an apartment building.
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the gator also had its mouth taped shut.
"It's extremely dangerous. It really is," FWC Officer Lorenzo Veloz said. "Tied to a tree is something that we don't see everyday."
It's unknown who trapped the gator but it's believed more than one person was involved due to the gator's size, officials said.
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"This is not a one person operation," Veloz said. "Usually an alligator that's nine feet long takes about two or three people to really corral, especially if it's not tied up."
Alligators are a protected species, so whoever is responsible could face charges, officials said.
"Unfortunately whoever did this tied the alligator up incorrectly, causing some damage to the skin, stressing the alligator out," Veloz said.
Veloz said the gator will likely be released back into the wild.
