Cannibal Alligator Nicknamed ‘Grandpappy’ Eats Rival Gator In Startling Footage From Florida Golf Course

Cannibal Alligator Nicknamed 'Grandpappy' Brutally Eats Gator (Video)

iStockphoto / Mark Kostich


  • A massive ‘cannibal’ alligator in Central Florida was filmed brutally eating its alleged ‘love rival’ on a golf course
  • Seeing an alligator eat anything is a jarring experience but seeing an alligator eat another gator is jaw-dropping
  • Read more ALLIGATOR stories here

A massive cannibal alligator in Florida was filmed eating its alleged ‘love rival’ on a golf course. Seeing an alligator eat anything at all is a jarring experience whether it’s on video or in person. They have 80 teeth! But seeing a cannibal alligator brutally eat another gator is a jaw-dropping sight that has left many stunned.

This 1.5-minute video was filmed by Julie Marchillo Smith in Lakeland, Florida. For anyone who needs a Florida geography refresher, Lakeland is located roughly halfway between Tampa and Orlando. It’s roughly smack dab in the middle of the Sunshine State.

Lakeland, Florida might also be a hot spot for cannibal alligators. It was just a few months ago that wildlife photographer Bobby Wummer captured this stunning image. That cannibal alligator was photographed eating another gator and the seasoned wildlife photographer called it the ‘Biggest Alligator Ever Seen’ at the time. This video below from Julie Marchillo isn’t the ‘Biggest Alligator Ever Seen’ but it’s certainly a MASSIVE alligator and it eats the other gator like it’s a snack.

Cannibal Alligator Nicknamed ‘Grandpappy’ Brutally Eats Rival Gator (Video)

Here is the same video via Instagram and Facebook, so you can choose your preferred way to watch:

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How Common Are Cannibal Gators In Florida?

This Instagram photo from Bobby Wummer at Circle B Bar Reserve last Fall sort of blew the lid off ‘cannibal alligators’ being a thing. That photograph went viral FAST with most people incredulous that alligators could eat other alligators.

To determine how common cannibal alligators really are in the wild, a group of wildlife researchers actually studied this back in 2011. What they found is somewhere around 7% of young alligators are eaten by older, bigger alligators.

What the researchers found is cannibalism in alligators might be a good thing. The numbers suggest that gators eating gators might actually help keep population numbers under control in areas where there is too much competition for food and mates.

What Are People Saying About Footage Of The Cannibal Alligator Nicknamed ‘Grandpappy’?

As you can imagine, the footage you saw above of Grandpappy eating another gator in Lakeland has elicited a LOT of responses online. One Instagram commenter said “I was wondering what the heck he was dragging 😂😂😂” while another added “It’s just his chew toy.”

The smaller alligator that’s being eaten by Grandpappy was said to be his ‘love rival’ with alligator mating season approaching from May to June. One commenter must’ve had that in mind when they wrote “He ain’t gon risk this lil twerp movin in on his WOMAN 💪🏼.”

Didn’t I see another massive cannibal gator on BroBible recently?

If you are an avid reader, in addition to that picture above you might remember this story from last Fall. This close-up footage of a cannibal alligator eating a smaller one like it was nothing left readers speechless.

After watching this footage of the cannibal alligator I literally went out in my backyard to check for gators. I live in Southwest Florida on a small lake. And while we don’t have any alligators the size of Grandpappy there have been a few (too many) gators sharing my living space in recent weeks.

If this cannibal alligator is out here eating other gators, I’m led to believe my 80-pound Bernese Mountain Dog would also be an easy snack.