A 14ft alligator has been caught in Mississippi, smashing all previous records, and has understandably been dubbed a "nightmare".
Alligators are part of the furniture in some places in the US, but that doesn't mean that residents of these areas should get complacent.
Because just when you think you've seen it all, suddenly a monster will come along that rewrites the history books - and that's exactly what has happened here.
As reported by the Mirror, a cohort of Mississippi hunters etched their names in history as they managed to wrestle and capture the massive alligator, which stretched over 14 feet in length and tipped the scales at a jaw-dropping 800 pounds.
The remarkable feat was achieved by a team of adept hunters on the Yazoo River, during an intensive outing on Saturday.
With the aim of maintaining a balanced ecosystem, especially in the vicinity of residential areas, controlled alligator hunting windows have been designated in the state.
These efforts have been spurred by a surge in complaints of household pets, particularly dogs, falling prey to the predators.
As per the meticulous assessments carried out by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, the captured behemoth measured an astounding total length of 14 feet and 3 inches, boasting an astonishing belly girth of 66 inches. The final weight came in at an impressive 802.5 pounds.
This record-smashing achievement casts a daunting shadow over the previous record holder for the longest alligator in Mississippi, a slightly smaller specimen measuring 14 feet and weighing in at 766.5 pounds, achieved back in 2017.
After an image of the beast was put onto Facebook, people flocked to comment on the behemoth, with one person noting that it was "nightmare fuel".
Another person penned: "How old would a gator this size be? That’s a freaking monster!!"
A third added: "Congratulations, that’s a brute," while a fourth concluded: "Mercy sakes!! That’s a dinosaur!!"
The hunters - Tanner White, Don Woods, Will Thomas, and Joey Clark - secured their capture on the second day of the dedicated alligator hunting season in the state. Recounting their epic seven-hour battle to reel in the leviathan reptile, Don Woods described the ordeal as "mentally exhausting".
"We hooked him eight or nine times and he kept breaking off," Woods recounted, adding: "He would go down, sit, and then take off. He kept going under logs. He knew what he was doing. The crazy thing is he stayed in that same spot."
The public alligator hunting season in Mississippi, which commenced on August 25, is set to continue until September 4. The state first embraced the concept of limited alligator hunting in 2005.
In order to ensure the sustainable management and conservation of the alligator population, the practice of alligator hunting is meticulously regulated in Mississippi.
This approach restricts hunting to a specific season and mandates the possession of a special permit issued by the state's Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
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