In a shocking incident, the remains of a human body were discovered in the mouth of a 13-foot-long alligator in the U.S. state of Florida.
The male alligator was found on Friday in a canal in the city of Largo, Florida. Local authorities subsequently removed the creature from the water and euthanized it. At the same time, human remains were also retrieved from the same location.
An investigation is currently underway to determine whether the alligator was responsible for the death of the individual found in its mouth. An autopsy is being conducted to establish the cause of death. The identity of the deceased person has not yet been disclosed.
According to local resident Jamarcus Bullard, he was passing through the area when he spotted the alligator.
"I threw a rock at the alligator to see if it was real. It turned out that it had grabbed the lower part of a human torso and then pulled it underwater," he said.
Other locals expressed surprise at the presence of an alligator in the area, as Largo is located west of the major city of Tampa in Pinellas County.
The Guardian reports that there are over one million alligators in Florida. Over the past decade, there has been an average of eight unprovoked alligator bites requiring medical attention per year. Additionally, across the United States, there are approximately six reported cases each year where a person is killed by an alligator.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of residents and the need for increased vigilance in areas where alligators are known to inhabit.
