The reptile was one of 92 alligators raised on a farm that escaped when heavy floods hit the area in July.

While local authorities and farmworkers were busy recapturing the escaped alligators, which are an endangered species, the three men surnamed Wei, Liu and Wang found one in some farmland nearby.

Instead of reporting their find to local police, as required in an emergency notice released after the escape, the men bludgeoned the alligator to death with sticks and brought it to a local restaurant.

At the restaurant, a friend of the three men filmed them butchering the alligator, broadcasting their actions live on social media.

Using the video evidence, local police launched an investigation and the men were subsequently detained.

A local court has now sentenced Wei to three years imprisonment and Liu and Wang to two years, suspended for four, three and two years, respectively.