A 3.1-meter-long alligator has just been captured. Experts believe this alligator could be up to 100 years old.
According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP), two brothers, Jim and Richie Denson, recently captured an alligator longer than 3.1 meters on the Pearl River, which flows through the state of Mississippi (USA).
Authorities reported that this is a female American alligator and the longest alligator ever captured in the state of Mississippi.
Jim Denson stated that he and his brother, Richie Denson, were fishing on the Pearl River when this giant creature broke their fishing rod. The two then worked together to capture the large alligator and bring it onto their fishing boat.
Brothers Richie (left) and Jim Denson (right) pose with alligator expert Ricky Flynt (center) and the recently captured alligator (Photo: MDWFP).
According to Ricky Flynt, the alligator monitoring program coordinator for MDWFP, this alligator had been previously captured by experts in 2009 and tagged for tracking.
“We tagged this alligator on June 11, 2009, as part of a research project on alligators. At that time, the alligator was already over 3.1 meters long, and it hasn’t increased in size since then,” Ricky Flynt stated.
“We don’t know its exact age at the time of the first capture, but based on size changes and our knowledge, this alligator could very well be between 75 to 100 years old,” Flynt added.
This alligator has been captured and tagged for tracking since 2009. (Photo: MDWFP).
The state of Mississippi is home to approximately 32,000 to 38,000 American alligators. The tagged alligators in Mississippi are part of research efforts to help scientists analyze their growth rates and movement ranges.
Currently, around 800 alligators have been tagged for tracking since 2007.
Alligator hunting is completely legal in Mississippi to control the abundant alligator population in the area. Licensed hunters are only allowed to capture alligators longer than 1.2 meters to avoid capturing immature alligators.
The American alligator is the only native reptile species in the southeastern United States. Adult males can grow up to 3 meters long, while adult females can reach lengths of 2.5 meters. Mature alligators can weigh between 80 to over 300 kilograms, with some rare cases exceeding 450 kilograms.
This species resides in wetlands and overlaps with areas inhabited by humans.
American alligators have the potential to kill adult humans, but incidents of attacks on humans by this species are quite rare. American alligators are generally less aggressive compared to larger crocodilian species (such as saltwater crocodiles or Nile crocodiles). The bite force of the American alligator is substantial, capable of causing severe injuries with a high risk of infection.
Statistics indicate that at least 28 people have died due to attacks by American alligators since 1970.
