Woman on run spots alligator trying to swallow another alligator, Florida photos show
Alligators do strange things all the time in Florida, but even the most seasoned Floridian will take a second look when a gator starts trying to cram another gator down its throat.
That’s what Sue Edwards saw Sunday, March 17, in Charlotte County and she says the part that really gave her the willies was when it appeared to notice she was staring.
It happened as she ran a 2-mile loop trail around a lake at Babcock Ranch in southwest Florida, about a 125-mile drive southeast from Tampa. Edwards lives in the area.
“When I turned the corner I saw this gator which was not surprising, but when I got closer I saw something in his mouth and initially thought it was a snake,” she told McClatchy News.
“When got closer I noticed it was a smaller gator. ... Since it was a loop I knew I’d see the gator again and he was still there with the smaller gator in his mouth. This time he looked at me and it creeped me out. He sank back into the water with the smaller gator in his mouth and I kept running.”
American alligators have long been known to engage in cannibalism and researcher believe it’s a form of population control. The practice typically involves big ones eating small ones, including the very young, research shows.
Still, it’s something people rarely witness, even in Florida where alligators live in all 67 counties.
Edwards took a series of photos, which she shared with the 117,000 followers of the Alligators of Florida Facebook group. Hundreds of people have posted reactions and comments.
“When you’re hungry you’re hungry, but I don’t know why it bothers me when they eat each other,” Kerri Hartman posted.
“I know we all run by alligators like no big deal in FL, but they’re a big deal!” Jodi Weiss wrote.
“What I’ve learned after watching these animals daily ... for years is that they don’t always do things ‘by the book,’” Jimmy Koeppel said.
This story was originally published March 20, 2024 at 1:46 PM with the headline "Woman on run spots alligator trying to swallow another alligator, Florida photos show."