A dead Florida man’s hand and foot were discovered inside the stomach of an alligator, according to wildlife officials.
A necropsy of the gator found the hand and foot in its stomach.
“That can do a lot of damage. It is definitely a large gator,” wildlife official Ashley Tyer said.
His body was found in a canal near Peeples Road, and a 911 caller said there was a large alligator nearby.
Officials told news outlets that Ford’s cause of death was drowning.
“An autopsy revealed that Ford had other lacerations and injuries caused by the gator, and his apparent cause of death is drowning, although his final cause and manner of death are pending toxicology,” sheriff’s office spokeswoman Carrie Horstman told Patch.com.
Investigators found a truck near the body and determined it belonged to a friend of Ford’s who recently agreed to sell it to him.
“Neither the friend nor Ford’s family had heard from him since Sunday, June 23, 2019, ”Horstman added.
Meanwhile, the FWC warns to never feed an alligator and “keep your distance” should one encounter one. It warns, “Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours. And keep pets on a leash and away from the water.”
Alligator Spotted with Knife in Skull
An alligator in Texas was seen swimming with a large knife stuck in its head, and it’s unclear how blade got there.Erin Weaver, a Houston woman, said she spotted the alligator.
“I feel that somebody did this on purpose,” KTRK quoted her as saying.
It’s unclear if the alleged stabbing was done in self-defense.
“I want to get help for this alligator. I don’t want to see an alligator swimming around with a knife in its head and suffering,” she told the station.
A local official, Chris Bishop, told the station that he is optimistic the gator is not in pain and could live like this for some time.