Florida man hits alligator, egg nest with lawn mower in caught-on-video attack

A Florida man was operating a tractor mower when he intentionally struck an alligator and a nest of eggs, authorities said.

The cruel attack came to light thanks to a witness who recorded the June 10 incident in Daytona Beach and shared the footage with investigators, according to an arrest report obtained by local media this week. A two-month probe by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has since resulted in felony charges against the suspect, identified as 59-year-old Steven Dariff.

The shocking video shows the man clearing brush around a pond when he dropped the mower blades on the alligator in what initially appeared to be an attempt to scare it off, ClickOrlando.com reported Thursday. But the driver hit the animal again after it crawled back onto the bank, the video suggests.

Dariff also destroyed several gator eggs from a nearby nest, authorities said.

Florida man accused of slamming gator against building, says he was ‘teaching it a lesson’: cops

Officers were called to the scene shortly after the incident and found the mortally wounded alligator in the pond. The animal had to be euthanized.

Dariff has been charged with alligator poaching and felony cruelty to animals, Volusia County jail records show.

The suspect has denied the allegations, telling WESH 2 News that he “didn’t kill a gator.”

This was at least the second time an alligator was brutally attacked in the Sunshine State this summer. In July, a 32-year-old man was accused of stealing a gator from a miniature-golf course in Daytona Beach Shores, swinging the animal around by its tail and slamming it into a building. The suspect allegedly told cops he was “teaching it a lesson.”