A 765-pound Florida alligator has the internet going wild. Two men in Florida caught a 765-pound alligator and of course the story goes viral.
This picture of a 765-pound Florida alligator nicknamed, Lumpy is epic. Two men by the names of Keith Kelley and Kelly Sziy spent the last two months searching the St. Johns River near Jacksonville in Florida for a giant alligator that they had named Lumpy.
On Thursday morning, the pair finally caught the creature as he was apparently sleeping. Talking to local media, Kelley and Sziy explained that they just used a rope, few hooks and their strength to bag the animal. Sziy shared that it took about four hours to bag the alligator:
“Put some leather gloves on and I told Kelly: we’re going to have to get him by hand and that’s all it is to it. Hang on.He got close enough to where I guess he couldn’t withstand the bait.Finally, it was just his night.”
They dragged the animal for the weighing and it was so big that it broke the scale. The men eventually discovered that they had captured a 765-pound Florida alligator that measured 13 feet and 4 inches.
It is believed that the 765-pound Florida alligator is the biggest one ever caught in the state by hand. Florida Fish and Wildlife officers are investigating the matter to figure it out.
Sziy and Kelley have already announced that they have plans to catch another giant gator, they stated:
“I don’t know if there’s another one out there, but we’ll definitely be looking.”
According to Jim Barlington, a specialist at the Alligator Farm, the 765-pound alligator was a rare catch, he shared:
“Usually when people say they’ve seen a large alligator, it’s usually around 11 feet or so. So, 13 feet, close to 13 1/2 feet is definitely rare.”
Lumpy, the 765-pound alligator was killed and his meat was processed. But his head serves as a trophy and is mounted on a wall at Kelley’s house.
What are your thoughts on this Florida 765-pound alligator catch?
HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD TOURIST ATTRACTION AT GATORLAND. MANYTOURISTS PASSING THROUGH WOULD HAVE PAISD A FEW DOLLARS TO SEE HIM.
Whatever happened to catch and release? If the alligator lived to
grow that big it seems a shame to kill him now for a trophy. I am sure
his meat was not needed for survival.
How would you suggest they attempt to (car),capture and release, a gator that big?