US men charged after forcing beer down baby alligator’s throat

Two men who shared images of themselves forcing beer down an alligator’s throat have been charged.

The US men, Joseph Andrew Floyd Jr, 20, and Zachary Lloyd Brown, 21, have been charged with harassing wildlife, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) said in a statement.

Photographs of the men pouring beer into the alligator’s mouth as they held it by the throat were shared to Snapchat on May 24.

One of the images was captioned “Gator shotgun”.

SCDNR said it launched an investigation after receiving emails from members of the public concerned by the images.

Mr Floyd and Mr Brown told police they caught the alligator as it was crossing a road in Jasper County.

It is understood they then poured beer into its mouth and photographed the reptile, before putting it in a nearby pond.

“Wildlife conservation is a big part of what SCDNR officers do each day," SCDNR Sergeant Earl Pope said in a statement.

“This case is a good example of why we strive to educate people about wildlife in hopes that they will respect it.”

The men face a maximum fine of $403)if found guilty of the offence.

SCDNR said federal legislation exists to regulate the legal harvesting of alligators for overseas trade, but no protection exists for small-time harassment cases.