An arrow or crossbow fragment appears lodged in a surviving alligator at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. | Image by Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge.

Texas game wardens are asking the public to help identify the person or people who shot at least three alligators at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge on Lake Worth, killing two and injuring another.

Operation Game Thief is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the conviction of the person or people responsible, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced Friday through its DFW Urban Wildlife account in a post.

Two killed, one survives

The shootings occurred between May and July 2026, according to TPWD. One alligator survived. Two others died, and those responsible abandoned the carcasses and left them to waste.

At least one of the alligators was shot with a crossbow bolt, the agency said. TPWD did not identify a suspect or say whether investigators believe the same person or group committed all three shootings.

The nature center covers 3,621 acres of forests, prairies and wetlands. Its visitor guidelines protect all plants and animals, while Fort Worth prohibits hunting any animal at the refuge. The nature center also bans the discharge of firearms.

Hunting barred at refuge

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Tarrant County is a non-core alligator county. Texas’ 2025-26 general season there ran from April 1 through June 30, with a one-alligator-per-person limit for the license year.

State rules allow alligators to be taken only on private property. They also require a hunter to attach a wildlife resource document immediately after killing an alligator in a non-core county and submit a hide-tag report to TPWD within 72 hours.

The agency’s announcement did not specify the date of each shooting. The incidents may span both open- and closed-season dates, but city rules barred hunting at the nature center throughout the period.

How to report a tip

Operation Game Thief accepts anonymous tips by phone at 1-800-792-GAME (4263), by text to 847411 using the keyword TXOGT, through its online form or on the Texas OGT mobile app.

TPWD says a tipster may receive up to $1,000 if the information leads to a conviction. The reward amount depends on factors including the violation’s severity, the number and type of animals involved, and the tipster’s assistance.