Nature
PUBLISHED
Nothing screams "welcome to Florida" like an alligator, and this monstrous creature is no exception.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.The alligator pictured above was shot at a farm outside of Okeechobee on Saturday, April 2, and is estimated to be at least 4.5 meters (15 feet) long. The alligator was so heavy, a tractor was required to move the creature off the farm.
Some might question the necessity to shoot such an animal, but hunter Lee Lightsey, owner of Outwest Farms, and hunting guide Blake Godwin said it was necessary after local farmers had complained that the alligator had been attacking and eating their cattle.
Speaking to the BBC, Lightsey explained: "What really drew our attention to this animal was the fact that it seems to have been feasting on the cattle on my farm, because mutilated body parts were found in the water. It was a monster which needed to be removed."
As for the picture (with Lightsey's 9-year-old son Mason), there's probably a bit of forced perspective at play. But nevertheless, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have confirmed that the photograph is real, ABC News reports. They’re now investigating the alligator further and hope to confirm its size.
"Although this animal is huge I was not that surprised it existed," Lightsey added. "We have come across lots over the last 20 years that have been only a little smaller.
"But always we kill them with the minimum of suffering without allowing them to be injured before they die.”
