800-Pound Mississippi Gator Shatters State Record As Largest Ever Caught

September 1, 2023

A colossal alligator weighing a staggering 800 pounds was captured in Mississippi, breaking the state record for the largest gator ever caught.

The 14-foot-long gator was caught Saturday in Mississippi by four hunters on the Yazoo River in Yazoo City, MS.

It broke the state's size record, weighing in at a whopping 802.5 lbs.

The animal's meat, harvested by Red Antler Processing, will end up in the mouths of the hungry. Nearly 400 pounds of meat was donated to soup kitchens and nonprofits around the area.

Its hide, which will take months to process, will become fine leather goods.

Local conservationists say getting the massive predator out of the water is good for the species' population and will keep people and pets safe.

"These wild culls are amazing, honestly, it's incredible population control for the species," Christy Plott, vice chair of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's crocodile specialist group told Insider. "About 1 to 2% of wild alligators are culled annually, so it's not a big number, and the goal is to take out some of the larger animals that are not productive for breeding and keep other alligators from breeding — which is obviously bad for the population as a whole."

Experts believe the gator was around 45 years old.

According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, there are an estimated 32,000-38,000 alligators living in the state.