LAKELAND, Fla. -- A man found dead in a Lakeland pond was the victim of an 8-foot, 9-inch alligator that has been captured and killed, the medical examiner's office said Tuesday.

GATOR FACTS Food: Gators prey on species that are abundant and easily accessible like fish, snakes, turtles, amphibians, apple snails, small mammals, and birds. Size:Female gators rarely exceed 9 feet in length, but males can grow much larger. The Florida state record is a 14 foot 5/8 inch male in Seminole County. Location: Gators prefer fresh water lakes and slow-moving rivers and wetlands, but they also can be found in brackish water habitats. Status: The American alligator is not endanged, but is classified as a "threatened" species.

Officials did not know what Don Owen, 56, a truck driver from Bartow, was doing at the Southern Lakeland pond about a dozen miles from his home.

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Recent Gator Images:
Jan. 2005: 12-Foot Gator Captured
Nov. 2004: Alligator Apparently Kills Dog
Sept. 2004: Dead Alligator Found In Trashcan
July 2004: Gator Attacks Florida Landscaper

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On Thursday, Owen was reported missing when he did not show up for work. On Saturday, the remains of his body were found by several men fishing in Six Pound Pond.

An autopsy determined that Owen was killed by an alligator, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

Trappers caught the alligator on Monday. Owen's forearm was found in its stomach.

Local residents said they had fed the alligator, which is illegal and extremely dangerous, said Gary Morse, spokesman for the wildlife commission.

Alligators normally fear humans and flee from them unless threatened or cornered, but alligators that have been fed by humans begin to look at humans as a food source, Morse said.

"When you're feeding any wildlife by the shore or the water he associates you with the feeding scenario and that's what causes a breakdown in behavior that protects you from alligator attacks," Morse said.

Since 1948, 330 alligator attacks have been documented by the commission. Sixteen have been fatal, including Owen's.