See The Giant 12-foot Gator Caught in Arkansas

Written by Hannah Crawford
Published: September 20, 2023
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Breaking News: An enormous 12-foot alligator was caught in Arkansas on September 15, 2023.

This next breaking news video takes us to the great state of Arkansas. The THV11 channel uploaded this YouTube video. This channel is dedicated to providing “stories from Arkansas that inspire and offer insight into everything happening in the Natural State. We’ll bring you engaging stories as well as full interviews and hilarious moments from our television broadcasts!” 

To date, this channel has received more than 99,900 subscribers to their channel. And their videos have received more than 57 million views. They share a short description of this newscasting below.

“A woman in Arkansas and her unofficial Alligator wrangling team are celebrating after they made a huge catch last Friday night!” 

Largest Gator Catch

At the start of this newscast, we can see incredible footage of a woman bending down next to an enormous alligator on the bed of a truck. This woman, Melissa Phillips, and her team have captured an amazing 12-foot and 2-inch alligator in Arkansas. 

According to reports, she beat her other gator catch by two inches with this one! This will make it the largest gator catch that she and her team have completed. 

If we pause the video posted at the bottom of this breaking news article, we can see they needed a tractor to lift this massive alligator so we can appreciate just how big it is. Now that we have seen this enormous alligator let’s see just how big the alligator population is. 

How Many Alligators Are There?

alligator

Alligators can run up to 15 miles per hour.

©Sorbis/Shutterstock.com

American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) of the genus Alligator are large reptiles that can weigh anywhere from 181-363 kilograms (400-800 pounds). And they can reach anywhere from 2.5 centimeters – meters (8-15 feet) long. 

It is estimated that there are some four million alligators in the United States. The three top states that carry the majority of this population are Louisiana (2 million), Florida (1.3 million), and Texas (400,000-500,000). 

How Many Alligators Live in Arkansas?

According to the American Oceans organization, “Alligators are typically found in the southern part of Arkansas, but they have been known to venture further north in search of food and suitable habitats. However, they are not commonly found in the northern part of the state.”

Of the four million gators that are found in the U.S., it is estimated that Arkansas has a population of 3,000.

Watch the Incredible Video Posted Below!


The photo featured at the top of this post is © FlagtailsPhotography/iStock via Getty Images


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About the Author

Hannah Crawford is a writer at A-Z Animals where she focuses on reptiles, mammals, and locations in Africa. Hannah has been researching and writing about animals and various countries for over eight years. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Communication\Performance Studies from Pensacola Christian College, which she earned in 2015. Hannah is a resident in Florida, and enjoys theatre, poetry, and growing her fish tank.

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