Go Gators!

Crowds Watch Gator Kill, Eat Prey GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Up to 150 people watched for hours as a 12-foot alligator ripped apart a smaller gator and ate it in a lake at the University of Florida. The show ended when trappers were called in to kill the predator. The big alligator, estimated at 600 pounds, started eating the small one Saturday morning in Lake Alice. The big gator bit into its prey and slung it to break it into pieces that could be swallowed. Crowds formed, and those watching gasped and cheered as the gruesome show continued through the day at the university, whose sports teams are nicknamed the Gators. ``He took the tail first, started swallowing it,'' said Dave Krukowski, a student. The gator ate the smaller animal all the way up to the back legs ``and then started body-slamming it, trying to rip it in half.'' The crowd applauded as trappers who had been sent by the state hoisted the big gator into their boat. Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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