Mississippi is a beautiful southern state with verdant wetlands, meandering rivers, and one of the most ancient and awe-inspiring members of the animal kingdom: the American alligator. These ancient river monsters can grow to jaw-dropping sizes. In some rare cases, an American alligator may even reach 15 feet in length and weigh 1,000 pounds! But just how big do they get in Mississippi? Take a look at the five largest alligators ever found in Mississippi!
1. Longest Male Alligator: 14 Feet, 3 Inches
As soon as darkness fell on August 25, 2023, Donald Woods set out with his hunting buddies on the Yazoo River. There were plenty of gators out that night, but these seasoned hunters were on a mission to capture something much bigger. As soon as they saw the enormous head and wide back along the water’s surface, they knew it was their gator. Around 9 p.m., the team hooked the massive gator, but it took several more hours before they could claim their prize.
The enormous alligator kept breaking off hook after hook, darting under logs and frustrating his human predators. Several of their rods snapped and their reels burnt out, but still, they kept going. Finally, around 4 a.m., Woods and his crew hoisted the behemoth reptile into their boat. The official measurements from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) reported the 802.5-pound gator to be 14 feet, 3 inches, making it the largest alligator ever found in Mississippi!