Hunters see amazing things when they hunt. And most of them like to brag about their findings. Who found the biggest alligator, who found the most unique-looking animal, or someone who found an animal never before caught? Well, a situation like that happened just last week in South Carolina.
Alligator Caught in South Carolina
On Saturday, September 30th, a massive 11-foot alligator was delivered to Cordray’s, which is a meat processing shop that also does taxidermy. What was surprising about this alligator was that inside its mouth, there were deer antlers that were permanently stuck inside.
Michael Cordray, Cordray’s owner, stated, “It surprised us, too. We’ve seen a lot of strange things, but we’ve never seen anything like that. It just shows you the destructive power of an alligator that they even try to eat the antlers.”
Cordray posted this up on their Facebook page on October 2nd. One Facebook user commented, “That had to have been uncomfortable to have impaired the gator’s lower mandible. Ugh, you did him a huge humane favor by ending his life. With chronic pain and infection.”
While many people, just like the above Facebook commenter, had their thoughts about the situation, Cordray’s owner shares his thoughts about what happened as well. “I’m guessing the deer was drinking water and the alligator popped out and grabbed it,” he said. “It could have been a carcass the gator found, but most people (hunters) will keep six-point antlers, at least the head.”
How Many Alligators Live in South Carolina?
South Carolina is most famous for having the white-tailed deer in the state.
©Alexander Lukatskiy/Shutterstock.com
Ah, the great alligator. Few things are more exciting than catching an alligator down south. And South Carolina is no different. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) of the order Crocodilia lives in Asia, North America, and in the ocean. It is estimated that there are over four million alligators. This makes their conservation status the least concern for their ability to thrive.
Of these four million, it is estimated that South Carolina has 100,000 alligators living in that state alone. However large of a number that might sound to us, it is nothing compared to the two leading states with the most alligators. Louisiana takes first place with approximately two million. And Florida takes second place with almost 1.3 million.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources shares where South Carolina residents might commonly see alligators below.
- Alligators basking beside water bodies
- Participating in recreational activities in waterways with alligators
- Alligators crossing the road
- For more information on nuisance alligators & who to contact if you see one, see the ‘Nuisance Alligators’ tab.
