April 19, 2024

South Carolina gator gives up surprising stomach contents

April 9, 2021 Brian Cope Alligator, Newsletters

This gator was harvested by Ned McNeely during a private land hunt in April 2021. (Photo courtesy of Cordray's Processing)

Private land gator had a healthy appetite

When Ned McNeely brought a harvested gator from a private land hunt to Cordray’s Processing in Ravenel, South Carolina, on April 8, 2021, they decided to take a look at what the 12-foot, 445-pound gator had in its stomach. They found some very interesting items.

They told the story of the gator on their Facebook page:

“We don’t usually open up the stomach, but we did today. Five dog tags (from dog collars), one bullet jacket, one spark plug, loads of turtle shells, and several bobcat claws were inside,” they said.

These items were found inside the gator's stomach. (Photo courtesy of Cordray's Processing) — These items were found inside the gator’s stomach. (Photo courtesy of Cordray’s Processing)

They found two phone numbers on two of the dog tags. One number was out of service, but the other one worked. And it was the number of the hunter who had lost a dog more than two decades ago while hunting in the Lowcountry’s Pon Pon area.

“Two of the tags were legible and one phone number still worked. The owner said he had that lease 24 years ago,” said Cordray’s. The tag was from one of his dogs.