A video of a giant alligator walking through one of Polk County Discovery Center's reserves in Florida has fired up the internet since it first appeared online during the weekend. The alligator's massive size has generated different reactions, with many terming it as a hoax.
However, according to National Geographic, giant alligators like the one seen in the video are a reality. Back in 2014, the National Geographic Society magazine published the largest size of a giant alligator at 14 feet and 9.25 inches in Alabama.
Kim Joiner, the woman behind the scenes of the latest giant alligator viral video, told News 6, as cited by Click Orlandothat the most recent discovery was 12 feet and that it was real. Several zoologists have questioned both the photos and videos of the animal, claiming that the background appears to have been photoshopped.
Analysts at the Los Angeles Zoo, nevertheless, maintain that 12 feet is not unreasonable. In line with their argument, images in the background can often deceive the eye into believing that whatever is in the foreground is actually bigger than it is.
This is not the first time for such a giant alligator video to make rounds on the internet. In 2016, another giant alligator was filmed walking across a Palmetto golf course in Florida. Such giant alligators are believed to be male because female alligators are generally smaller in size and do not grow beyond 10 feet.
Also in the same family, crocodiles can grow even bigger than alligators. The largest size of a crocodile was recorded at 20.24 feet (6.17 meters) in Bunawan Township, Philippines. The reptile was so big that it received a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. The previous record holder was a 17.97 feet-long Australian-caught saltwater reptile.
Like Crocodiles, alligators can progressively grow throughout their lifetime, which can last up to 80 years. But that does not mean that giant alligators are typically old. Rather, there is an individual variation amongst the species just like in humans.
The reason behind why there is a recent upsurge in cases of giant alligators is that conservation efforts have aided the rebound of their population. The recent find, according to analysts, is a member of rare species that had been persecuted to near extinction.
Here is the video of a giant alligator making rounds online: