Gigantic 920-Pound Alligator Caught in Florida Lake Believed to be Almost 90 Years Old

(Photo : Getty Images/Bruce Bennett)

An alligator, weighing more than 900 pounds, was caught and killed by hunters in Florida.

Based on records, this was the second heaviest alligator that was captured in the state. It has a weight of 920 pounds and was more than 13 feet long. The said reptile was believed to be between 60 and 90 years old when it was caught last August 26.

The hunt

Captain Kevin Brotz of the US Coast Guard was on a fun hunt with his friends across a lake near Orlando when they saw the alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) that was swimming away from them.

Brotz, who is an experienced alligator hunter, described the hunt as special. He narrated that they spotted the alligator about two hours while they were on their hunt.

"He was swimming away from us, and his back was massive, so we started throwing hooks at him," Brotz recalled.

The hunters used large custom-made fishing rods that were outfitted with spin-casting reels. On the end of their lines were giant 12/0 treble hooks, which are usually meant for snagging thick gator hide.

Brotz said that all of the three crew members were able to snag into the giant alligator, however, due to its enormous size, it wouldn't budge off the bottom.

The big alligator swam into the log jams along the lake shore. The crew was forced to cut lines and throw out new hooks to avoid losing the reptile. At one point during the battle, the massive gator exploded out of the water.

Brotz pointed out that catching alligators of this enormous size has been extremely rare.

Statewide alligator program

It was in 1989 when the heaviest alligator was caught in Florida. It weighed 1,043 pounds or 473 kilograms.

Florida is considered to be a home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators. The one that was recently killed was part of Florida's statewide alligator harvest program, which has run since 1988.

This program has been helping to keep the population of alligators in check. The statewide alligator harvest has been nationally and internationally recognized as a model program for the sustainable use of a natural resource.

Each year, alligator management units are established with appropriate harvest quotas to provide recreational opportunities for Floridians and non-residents who are at least 18 years old to take up to two alligators per permit.

Further, applicants who would be awarded a permit must pay for two CITES tags and an Alligator Trapping License, or provide proof of possession of an Alligator Trapping License valid through the end of the alligator harvest season.

Officials said that a Florida hunting license is not required to participate in the statewide alligator hunt.

This American alligator or the Alligator mississippiensis is usually found in south Florida, among other places. South Florida is the only place you can find both the alligators and the crocodiles in the wild.

To distinguish the two animals, alligators are characterized by having a more U-shaped snout while crocodiles have a more pointed or V-shaped one. In addition, alligators are black while crocodiles are usually a lighter grayish brown.

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