An enormous 920-pound alligator that was captured in a small Florida lake in late August could be the second-heaviest gator in the state’s history.
Florida hunting guide Kevin Brotz was with two friends when they captured the nearly 13-foot-4-inch alligator from a small lake in the Orlando area on Aug. 27.
“I had fear like I never felt before,” Brotz told WESH. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and I think about gators, but I’ve never really experienced this.”
Brotz said his first concern was safety because the three hunters were in a smaller-sized boat.
“And then you add a gator whose head is this big. All he has to do is turn, and we’re in trouble. So immediately, all we kept saying, all I kept saying was, ‘Guys, we have to be smart. We have to play this safe.’ And I couldn’t have been with better people,” Brotz said.
The trio said it took four hours to get their gator.
Brotz told WESH the massive reptile was caught in an area where there are also people.
“Ultimately, if a beast of that size gets a hold of you or, God forbid, a child, the odds are tough,” he told WESH. “I don’t ever feel good about killing an animal. But with that being said, I respect the harvest.”
Brotz said hunting permits and tags are given to hunters in an effort to balance the alligator population.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission lists the state record for weight at 1,043 pounds. The gator the guys caught last month is currently thought to be the second heaviest but that record has not yet been confirmed.