STUMPY POINT, N.C. — The occasional car drives by on Highway 264 in Stumpy Point, but most of Wednesday afternoon there was a quietness about the area of Dare County that sits right next to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.
This week we learned that in early April, a nearly 12-foot, around 50-year-old alligator was found dead in a canal here and the cause of death was from bullet wounds.
"A lot of sadness," said Joe O'Grady, the founder of Coastal Kayak Touring Company.
O'Grady was brought to the attention of the alligator death through News 3's Instagram page on Tuesday, describing his feeling when he saw the picture and read the caption on the post.
"Anger that people would be that ignorant to kill something that is no threat to them," said O'Grady.
For 27 years, Joe has led people on tours through the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses more than 150,000 acres and is home to countless wildlife species. Joe shared that it's not uncommon for his crews to come across alligators on those trips.
"Maybe in the beginning we saw alligators 30% of our trips. Last year, I saw alligators on every single one of my trips, except for the one I did two days after Christmas. They're more numerous, it's very safe, you leave them be, they'll leave you be 100%," said O'Grady.
A social media video is what brought the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to investigate in early April, leading them to 23-year-old Noah Voyles of Chesapeake. He was charged with unlawfully taking an American alligator during the closed season and for unlawfully taking a protected species, as American alligators are included on the N.C. Threatened Species List.
In early May, Voyles pleaded guilty to shooting and killing the alligator. The court ruled that Voyles pay a $100 fine, $183 in court costs, $2,000 in restitution and complete 200 hours of community service. Officials in the press release said the restitution money will go back to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and will aid biologists with research and management of the American alligator.
Joe would be saddened to see this happen to any alligator, but one that was 50 years old and nearly 12 feet long hits even harder.
"The loss of that to me, it's one less alligator that I might get to show somebody. Hopefully people will realize that it's foolish to take something out of the wild, especially a creature that's been here before humans," said O'Grady.
Joe hopes that this can be a learning moment for everyone about the importance of respecting and preserving our wildlife.
"It shouldn't happen. We should be more respectful, we should be good stewards of our earth, of our wild things, our wildlife refuges, our park service lands, fish and wildlife service areas. I hope people walk away with a sense that we can respect all that," said O'Grady.
The NCWRC says there is no clear motive in the killing of the alligator as it was just sunning itself on the bank of the canal. This case highlights the dedication of our officers and biologists in protecting North Carolina's wildlife and holding violators accountable.
Anyone can report wildlife violations by using NC WILDTIP. You can send an anonymous message by texting "WILDTIP" to 847411 and to report in progress violations you can call 800-662-7137. More info on this can be found at their website here.
Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.
