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  • Alabama Alligator: Huge Alligator Caught By Family

    A family in Alabama managed to capture a huge alligator over the weekend. The Stokes family struggled to bring the gator in for five hours and it took all five of them to kill the massive creature.

    The 15-foot gator was hooked in a creek about 80 miles west of Montgomery. The family used large hooks to stab the gator and help bring it to land and eventually had to shoot it in the head to kill it.

    The alligator weighed over 1,000 pounds and is the new state record. It was so heavy that it even broke the winch that biologists use to weigh large gators. The alligator had to eventually be weighed using a backhoe and scale.

    The family knew they had killed something huge, but were surprised to find out just how much the gator really weighed.

    “We give all the glory to God. Ten men couldn’t have done what we did,” John Stokes said.

    The family said that during their five hour fight with the gator, they thought they were going to lose it several times.

    Although several family members had hooked the gator to bring it close to them, they weren’t able to pull it up out of the water enough to get a clear shot.

    The easiest way to kill a gator is by shooting it directly behind the eyes. Mandy Stokes said that she tried to shoot the gator several times before she finally managed to kill it.

    “All it did was make this gator mad,” Mandy Stokes said. “Fear had taken hold at this point.”

    While many people in Alabama eat alligator meat and use the hide to make numerous products, the proud Stokes family said that they plan to take their gator to the taxidermy shop but are not sure what they will do with it afterwards.

    What would you do with a 1,000 pound stuffed alligator?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Alligator For Beer: FL Man Tries To Swap Alligator For Beer

    A bizarre incident, at a Florida convenience store, has shown just how desperate some people are for alcohol. Fernando Caignet Aguilera, 64, was seen, in a video surveillance image, trying to swap a four-foot alligator for a 12-pack of beer at the Santa Ana Market last week.

    Apparently, Aguilera snatched the alligator at a nearby park, and then drove the alligator to Santa Ana Market in hopes of obtaining a 12-pack of beer. When he approached the counter with the alligator, instead of making the swap, the clerk called the Miami police. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino, there has never been a call of this nature in South Florida. He said that he had never, in his 25 years of service, heard on anyone capturing an alligator in exchange for anything. Pino called the incident an “extremely unusual situation, and a sad situation for the alligator.”

    While the alligator has been released back into the wild, Aguilera has been charged with taking possession and selling an alligator, which is classified as a second-degree misdemeanor. If convicted he could face up to six months in jail and a fine of $500.

    Watch the surveillance video below:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Man Cited for Trying to Trade Alligator for Beer

    A Florida man was recently cited for attempting to trade a live alligator for a 12-pack of beer at a convenience store in Allapattah, a suburb of Miami.

    Fernando Aguilera strolled into the Santa Ana Market toting a live, four-foot-long alligator, hoping the clerk would trade the reptile for some beer. The clerk called the police, who in turn called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

    Aguilera, who had the alligator wrapped in tape, says he’d captured it at a local park. Wildlife officers released the unharmed animal, and handed Aquilera three separate citations for the illegal capture and sales attempt of the alligator. All charges filed are second-degree misdemeanors, which carry maximum penalties of 6 months in jail, along with a $500 fine.

    The American alligator, or Alligator mississippiensis, is one of two living species in the genus Alligator within the family Alligatoridae, and is common in the southeastern U.S. The species can grow to be fairly large, with a 727-pound specimen recently being taken in Mississippi.

    Check out a clip of a ‘gator being captured in a Floridian back yard:

    Alligators are typically wary enough of humans to avoid them as prey, but occasionally attacks and fatalities do occur. Alligator sightings are common in Florida, as human development has long encroached upon the reptile’s native habitat. An alligator recently made its way into a Apopka, Florida Wal-Mart.

    Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer Jorge Pino commented, “In 25 years of law enforcement, I have never come across an individual who purposely caught an alligator and tied it up, brought it to a convenience store and tried to barter it for a 12-pack.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Alligator Discovered at O’Hare Airport

    There’s an old saying which states certain unlikely things will occur whenever pigs fly. While that adynaton has yet to come true, alligators were close to achieving the dream of pigs yesterday when one was discovered at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

    The alligator, named Allie by those who found and rescued her, was first spotted by a passenger, who then reported the sighting to a maintenance worker: “I was out there, and a passenger had pointed out that there was an alligator up under here. I looked, I said, ‘What?’” stated Tineka Walker of Universal Security.

    When Walker radioed for help to wrangle the 24 inch alligator, Chicago Police Officer Anthony Oliver said that they “Figured somebody was messing with us.” Fortunately for the gator and other passengers at the airport, the police handled the situation professionally.

    In order to safely remove the animal from the airport, the police contacted the Chicago Herpetological Society. Once the situation was properly assessed, the assembled crew caught the alligator in the most professional way possible – By shooing it into a trashcan with a broomstick.

    Once captured, the Chicago Herpetological Society assessed the animal’s health: “It was in pretty bad shape. We’re trying to get it healthy and find a place for it,” reported Jason Hood, the president of the society. A spokesman for the Chicago Herpetological Society also reported that Allie suffered from a metabolic bone deficiency, meaning the alligator’s previous owners did not include enough calcium in the alligator’s diet.

    As it currently stands, authorities do not know how the alligator found itself at Terminal 3. However, Twitter came to the rescue once again and clues are starting to emerge. Police and airport administration know that the alligator had to be dropped off by someone, considering “It’s not big enough to operate automatic doors.” That someone may have been spotted by a Twitter user who posted pictures of a man in the airport holding an alligator which looked very similar: “The patterns on an alligator are as unique as your fingerprints. We can actually match this band right here with that band right there,” stated Bob Bavirsha, a reptile rescuer.

    Because the alligator is in such bad health, the Chicago Herpetological Society will put the alligator through 6 months of rehabilitation before turning it over to a reptile park.

    Image via YouTube

  • Walmart Alligator Caught Strolling By Doors

    It’s not unusual to think of “slashing prices” when thinking of Walmart; however, now customers can think of the “slashing reptile” (alligator) when thinking of Walmart. A six foot alligator was recently spotted outside a Walmart in Apopka, Florida. The alligator was seen slowly strolling in front of the doors entering the store.

    According to shopper Robin Watkins, who spoke with CBS affiliate WKMG, “It was a nice size gator, just chilling.”

    The Apopka Police Department arrived on the scene and closed the area for an hour to ensure the safety of shoppers.

    Officer Steven Popp spoke about the department’s focus during the situation.

    “Our main concern was keeping the people safe,” Officer Popp said.

    There are no present reports for any display of aggressive behavior relating to this particular alligator that randomly appeared to just wander outside the store; however, the outcome for this alligator is tragic. According to a spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, this alligator will be put down.

    Karen Parker of the FWC told ABC News, “He’ll be put down, unfortunately. It looks like he has lost the fear of people, and we don’t want to take the chance of him hurting anybody.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54DYkd_lyqc

    Fortunately, no people were injured during the incident, and the shoppers who witnessed the event got a unique view of a non-helmeted Florida gator. Florida is known for alligators dwelling in swamps, which is why some residents have not sounded too surprised by the news of one roaming outside a Walmart.

    [Image And Videos Via YouTube]

  • Alligator Creeps Its Way To Walmart

    Alligator Creeps Its Way To Walmart

    Ok, so this is not the first time we’ve heard about alligators sneaking their reptilian tails into our habitats. Over the years, alligators have been discovered taking swims in pools, relaxing on lawns, slipping through doggie doors, and hanging out in houses awaiting the arrival of dinner. Breaking and entering is not a newly acquired skill for these creatures, and so it should not be too surprising to see an alligator walking around at the store. But Floridians in an Apopka Walmart were amazed anyway when they spotted an alligator casing the joint.

    Well, actually they were kind of scared, and the employees locked the doors of the Walmart and called the police as if Godzilla were attacking their low-price-city. The alligator had found its way to the entrance of the store and was causing the automatic doors to open and close. That was when shoppers discovered it. A customer by the name of Robin Watkins was one of the patrons that got a glimpse of the alligator: “Well, we were inside just picking up a few things for tomorrow, and someone inside said ‘There’s a ‘gator at the door’, so… we came out and it was right against the door. I mean, you could see it.” Watkins also added, “It was neat to see, but I’m glad they locked the doors for safety ’cause I do have my child with me.”

    Police blocked off the locations where the alligator was quietly sneaking around. Police then attempted to lure the alligator away from the store. The police efforts lasted for about an hour. The alligator finally retreated into the woods which are located behind the store. It is said that the alligator more than likely came from those woods because there is a pond located there. The alligator did not injure or attempt to eat anyone during its shopping trip.

    Video and Image Via youtube.com

  • Mississippi Gator Breaks Weight Record

    Wildlife officials there say an alligator hunting record in Mississippi was broken for the third time in a week, after the state’s heaviest gator was caught. A 13-foot, 6.5-inch gator weighing 741.5 pounds was killed by Dalco Turner of Gluckstadt, Mississippi, on Sunday morning on the Mississippi River near Port Gibson. It took Turner and two other hunters an hour to finally snare him.

    “He broke three lines, and I had the only hook that stayed in him the whole time,” Turner told the Clarion-Ledger. It almost didn’t happen.

    “We passed it by the first time,” he said. “We really didn’t think he was big enough to go after.” Turner’s record catch came a week after the state record for heaviest gator was broken twice within hours.

    Turner’s record catch came a week after the state record for heaviest gator was broken twice within hours.On Sept. 1, a 723.5-pound gator was caught by Beth (a lady!) Trammell in a canal near Redwood, Mississippi, breaking the previous state record of 697.5 pounds. However, Trammell’s record was wouldn’t stand long.

    An hour after the record was certified, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks’ Alligator Program coordinator Ricky Flynt processed a record 727-pound gator that was caught by Dustin Bockman, a UPS driver from Vickburg, Mississippi, who took the 13-foot, 4.5-inch gator in the Mississippi River near Big Black River.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hB9LMWoc7U

    “He broke all the lines we could put in him,” Bockman told Gulf Live. “Finally put a snare on him and got him up high enough and put a shot on him. All in all probably took us four and a half hours to catch him from the first time we saw him. We’re going to cook it for sure,” Bockman added. “There’s plenty for me and everybody else.”

    That record stood until Turner’s massive catch, which tied the mark.

    “Having a state record for an alligator in Mississippi is a lot like living in a glass house,” Brian Albert Broomwrote in the Clarion-Ledger. “It’s going to get broken.”

    Mississippi has nothing on Texas, though. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, a record 800-pound alligator was caught during a public hunt in May. The 14-foot, 3-inch gator was estimated to be between 30 to 50 years old.

    Both Trammell and Bockman’s catches fell pretty short of the Mississippi state record for length. In 2008, a 13-foot, 6.5-inch gator was caught on the Pascagoula River.

    Image via gulflive.com

  • 727-Pound Alligator Killed in Mississippi

    727-Pound Alligator Killed in Mississippi

    This weekend, the first weekend of alligator season in Mississippi, two people broke the state record for the heaviest alligator that has been documented only hours apart.

    The previous record for the heaviest alligator was 697.5 pounds, and it was taken from the Pascagoula River in 2008. This record was first broken by Beth Trammell who took a 13-foot, 5.5-inch long, 723.5-pound alligator early on Sunday morning in Issaquenna County in the Yazoo Diversion Canal. However, Trammell only held the record for approximately an hour before a new one was set once again.

    Later on Sunday, Dustin Bockman, who is a UPS driver from Vicksburg, took the 727-pound alligator from the Mississippi River in Claiborne County. His alligator was 13-feet, 4.5-inches long. To assist him with the alligator, Bockman’s brother, Ryan Bockman, and his friend, Cole Landers was there.

    Catching this alligator was no easy task for Bockman. The alligator put up a fight and it took him, his brother, and his friend over an hour to get the alligator to them to where they could get a kill shot. “He broke all the lines we could put in him. Finally put a snare on him and got him up high enough and put a shot on him. All in all probably took us four and a half hours to catch him from the first time we saw him,” Bockman said on Monday.

    Image via Thinkstock.com

  • Alligator Stolen by Being Crammed Under T-Shirt

    A man in West Virginia stole a baby alligator by smuggling it under his t-shirt.

    There’s a lot to worry about in that sentence given that gators are native neither to the Mountain State nor to t-shirts, so let’s set the scene: A man entered a pet shop in Beckley, W. Va., and asked about food for an alligator he’d purchased previously. When the attendant went to see about the gator chow, the man quickly snuck back to where the gators were kept, pulled one from its terrarium, stuffed it up his shirt, and hurried out.

    While there are more daring—and certainly more criminally glorious way to commit theft—shoving an alligator up your shirt seems particularly fraught with danger. Even so, the man made it out the door undetected.

    In fact, the theft was not noticed until well afterward, when employee Anthony Williams went to feed the reptile, didn’t see it, realized it wasn’t hiding under a rock, and reviewed surveillance footage. The thief, a regular customer, was shown on camera walking with a squirming bulge in his shirt from the area of the store where the animal had been kept.

    “Doesn’t seem like the safest thing to do,” said Williams. “I’m just shocked. Every business has to deal with shoplifting, but I would just would not expect an alligator to be shoplifted.”

    Williams was a bit skeptical that hiding a gator under one’s clothing was the smartest way to smuggle. “I mean, I can imagine the boy probably got bit on the way out,” Williams said. “It’s just an awful strange thing to do.”

    The animal was worth $300, so maybe a nip or two (as always, sorry for the puns) was worth it.

    And, for graphic effect, imagine the following being confined against its will under a t-shirt: