A Georgia man is looking to sell a 13-foot mounted bull alligator that’s been living under a blanket in his garage.
Don Perkins, 65, of Darien, Ga., got the American alligator after Florida wildlife officials ordered Perkins’ cousin — a licensed alligator trapper — to kill the animal in Palmdale, Fla. He had the alligator mounted about three years ago and is now hoping he can earn back the money that he invested in the project, which adds up to about $7,000.
Perkins said the alligator was laid out in the back of his cousin’s Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck when he first saw it. Its head was hanging out of the back of the truck with its snout kissing the pavement.
“I knew there was something I could do with it other than have him turned into purses and pocketbooks,” Perkins said.
So he took the animal home and made it his project. He called taxidermist after taxidermist. Most laughed at the request to mount such a large animal in a standing position. He then found Johnny Walker in Deland who turned his vision into a reality for about $4,500.
Michael Moulton, a professor of wildlife ecology and conservation at UF, said that although opinions may differ on the subject, the animal’s death was legal because he was considered a nuisance and killed by a licensed trapper.
Perkins named the animal George after a gator that almost killed him when he was a child. There was nothing more than 3 feet and a fishing pole between 11-year-old Perkins and the gator when the animal opened its jaw and smacked its tail on the water.
The new George now stands 7 feet tall on a green carpeted stand wearing a XXXL Tim Tebow jersey and holding a football signed by UF’s three Heisman winners — Tebow, Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel. There are wheels on the bottom.
“You can push him like a shopping cart in a grocery store,” he said.
Lately, George hasn’t been in the spotlight. He calls Perkins’ garage home. His only company is two motorcycles and a lawn mower. Still, Perkins keeps a blanket over him, keeping dust from building up in the cracks between his scales.
Perkins is hoping he can sell George and is asking for $6,500. He said he would like someone to buy George, auction him off and give the proceeds to charity.
“I’m not trying to make a single dime off of George,” he said.
The Craigslist ad can be found at goo.gl/kSk8vs.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 4/4/2014 under the headline "Actual, 13-foot Florida gator on Craigslist"]
A 13-foot-4-inch bull alligator is mounted in the Heisman Trophy pose. He holds a football signed by Tim Tebow, Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel.
