The Fate of the Crocodile That Carried Human Corpses... Euthanized

Capture and Euthanasia of 4.2m Male Crocodile
Body Identified as 41-Year-Old Woman Sabrina Pecom

An alligator found biting a part of a human corpse in Florida, USA, was euthanized.

According to NBC and other US media on the afternoon of the 22nd (local time), the problematic alligator discovered in a canal in Largo City, Florida, was a male measuring 4.2 meters in length.

An alligator floating in a lake at Palm Beach Golf Course in Florida. Not directly related to the article.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

A witness said, "There was an alligator floating in the canal holding something, and upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a human body," adding, "I recorded this on my phone and reported it."

The corpse the alligator was holding was identified as Sabrina Peckham (41, female). The exact circumstances of how she died and how the alligator came to bite the corpse have not yet been determined.

The alligator was captured by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC). Local police stated that the alligator was humanely euthanized.

It is unknown whether the alligator killed Peckham. However, recent attacks by alligators have been occurring frequently, causing anxiety among Florida residents. In February, an 85-year-old woman trying to save her dog in a city on Florida's east coast was killed by an alligator, and two weeks later, a man was bitten after opening his front door to an alligator.

Residents in the area were shocked by the news. One resident told a local broadcast, "This canal is where our children take walks every day," adding, "It's really frightening."

Meanwhile, Frank Mizzotti, a wildlife ecology professor at the University of Florida, said, "It is extremely rare for alligators to attack humans without reason," and added, "The risk of drowning near the water is much greater than the risk of being bitten by an alligator."