Gator captured on Georgia beach killed; head to be mounted

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (AP) -- The trapper who captured an alligator seen swimming in the Atlantic Ocean a few yards off a Georgia beach says the reptile has been killed and its head will be mounted.

Authorities temporarily closed beaches on Tybee Island for several hours as they watched the 7-foot gator just offshore on Friday. They said it was highly unusual for an alligator to cause alarm at the beach, since they're typically found in fresh water such as ponds, lakes, rivers and swamps.

The gator was eventually reeled onto the beach by trapper Jack Douglas and his crew.

Douglas tells The Savannah Morning News that the gator was harvested for its meat and hide, and its head will be mounted. He said releasing such a large gator elsewhere could be dangerous for someone else, so it was euthanized.