Lakeland police spokesman Gary Gross said that after a 911 call Tuesday, officers arrived at Lake Hunter to see the gator with the body in its mouth, according to WFLA. The gator let go, and police were able to retrieve the body, according to WFTV.
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According to Gross, the body appeared to be an adult male, but police say he may have been in the water for a day or longer, WFTS reported. Officers are working to identify the body and determine the cause of death.
Trappers have pulled an alligator from the lake and are trying to determine if it's the same alligator that was spotted with the body, WFTV reported.
Alligators have been making their mark across Florida in recent days, with two of them found eating a days-old corpse in South Florida and a mammoth gator estimated to be at least 15 feet long taking a stroll across a Palmetto golf course.