Cannibal alligators feast on smaller gators at Florida reserve

LAKELAND, Fla., April 14 (UPI) -- Visitors to a Florida wildlife reserve captured footage twice this week of massive alligators satisfying their hunger by engaging in cannibalism.

Andrew Lilyquist visited the Circle B Bar Nature Reserve in Lakeland Wednesday morning and captured photos and video of a large alligator feasting on a smaller gator.

"My heart was racing," Lilyquist told WFTS-TV. "I just saw that big head and I said, 'OK this is going to be great.'"

Lilyquist said the cannibal alligator was massive.

"He was huge. When he crossed the trail there was some of him on both sides," he said.

Lilyquist's video was captured just three days after visitors to the same reserve captured video of a 12-foot gator eating a small alligator in a similar act of cannibalism.

Octavia Hart captured photos of the Sunday incident.

"I watched him for about an hour eat half of the little guy and he took the other half in a doggy bag to go," Hart told WTVT-TV.

Video of that attack was posted to YouTube by Alex Figueroa.

It was unclear whether the cannibal alligators from Wednesday and Sunday were the same animal.

A Florida Fish and Wildlife spokesman said it is not uncommon for male alligators to attack and eat other male alligators during the mating season.