Officials have said that they have discovered the corpse of a missing Texas lady in the jaws of an alligator.
According to a press release from municipal authorities, the Houston Police Department said that the remains of a lady, “believed to be in her 60s,” were discovered “in the jaws of an alligator in the Horsepen Bayou” on Tuesday, May 28 at around 8:40 a.m. local time.
According to the statement, officers found the remains “while searching the area” for a lady who had been reported missing.
The alligator was shot and killed by a police sergeant “to prevent it from doing more damage to the remains,” according to the announcement. The department’s diving team had discovered the remains.
Officials from the city said that an inquiry into the woman’s identification and death is still underway.
Alligators are known to reside in the region where the woman’s remains were discovered, according to those who are acquainted with it, ABC station KTRK-TV said.
Angela Derous told the broadcaster, “I know which banks to avoid and where they like to sunbathe.” This is the first time I’ve heard of something like that occurring here. It’s unsettling.
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, alligators are normally found in southern states, “including the eastern third of Texas,” in marshes, bayous, rivers, and swamps. Typically, they breed and lay their eggs in Texas from March 1 to May 30.
Alligator attacks are uncommon in Texas. Although the creatures prefer to stay away from people, TPW said that as their population grows, they have had “an increased number of encounters” with people.