Texas officials hunt down poacher after 3 alligators are shot at protected refuge

After three alligators were shot at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge between May and July 2026, Texas wildlife officials have opened a suspected poaching investigation, as originally reported by NBC DFW.

Of the three animals shot, two were killed, including a young alligator that had been tagged for a wildlife study, while a nesting female survived with what has been described as a crossbow or arrow shaft still in her neck.

What happened?

At the Lake Worth refuge, where hunting is prohibited, wardens say at least three alligators have been targeted between May and July of this year, as NBC DFW reported.

Visitors and kayakers alerted refuge staff to one dead alligator and to another animal in the water that showed possible signs of poaching. 

Jared Wood, who serves as the manager of the Nature Center, told the outlet that one of the dead animals was a young alligator he had marked for a wildlife study. He added that damage to the carcass suggested someone may have tried to remove the animal's head.

"It does appear that someone tried to remove the head because the spine had been forced upward, which is consistent with someone trying to twist and pull the head away from the spine," Wood explained to NBC DFW.

A game camera captured the third alligator, a nesting female on the Nature Center's grounds with a serious injury. The center shared an image of the gator with the wound with NBC DFW.

"She had that crossbow or arrow shaft sticking out of her neck," Wood said.

As the investigation continues, Texas Game Wardens and Lake Worth marshals are increasing patrols, per NBC DFW. Texas Game Warden Mariah Hampton told the outlet that officers are varying when and where they patrol while looking for suspicious wildlife injuries and suspicious human activity, too.

Why does it matter?

Alligators are a native, federally protected species that play an important role in wetland ecosystems. But beyond the allegations of violence toward these animals, the toll here is also scientific, as one of the alligators killed had been tagged for a wildlife study. 

This means the shooting could have prevented the use of valuable data that could have helped researchers better understand local populations and habitat health.

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