'I felt fear like never before': Alligator hunters catch 400-kilo, 4-metre long 'monster' in bid to keep people safe

1 September 2023, 20:13

The alligator hunters wrestled with their quarry for 4 hours
The alligator hunters wrestled with their quarry for 4 hours. Picture: Facebook

By Kit Heren

Alligator hunters have caught and killed a "monster" weighing more than 400 kilograms and measuring over 4 metres long.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The 417-kilo alligator is the second-heaviest ever caught in the US state of Florida, behind only a 454-kilo giant.

The alligator hunters came across the beast in a lake near the major city of Orlando, and knew they had to catch it to keep local residents safe.

Alligator hunting is legal in Florida and several other south-eastern US states, with a licence. Alligators have killed several people in Florida in recent years.

Kevin Grotz, a charter boat captain who led the efforts, said: "I had fear like I never felt before."

Read more: Alligator mauls pensioner to death while she was walking her dog

Read more: Alligator comes face-to-face with robot in pipe as council warns residents not to explore drains

The alligator hunters
The alligator hunters. Picture: Facebook

He added that he had never "experienced anything like this" in his 20 years on the water.

"Ultimately, if a beast of that size gets a hold of you or, God forbid, a child, the odds are tough," he told local TV station WESH-2.

Grotz and his team knew they had to "be smart" and play it safe, he said.

They pursued the behemoth before lashing it to the side of the boat, wrestling with it for four hours.

The alligator hunters with their quarry
The alligator hunters with their quarry. Picture: Facebook

“Honestly, my first concern was safety because we were in a smaller boat,” Grotz said. “And then you add a gator whose head is this big. All he has to do is turn, and we’re in trouble.”

“When we saw this gator, it was way bigger than anything we’ve ever caught before,” said his fellow hunter Darren Field.

He compared the alligator to a "giant dinosaur."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

The gas would have to be extracted via fracking

Giant gas field discovered under UK that 'could fuel the country for a decade'

Donald Trump has been accused of 'appeasement'

Ukraine’s future at stake as world leaders gather in Munich - with Trump accused of ‘appeasing’ Putin

Una Crown

Bloody fingernails of murdered widow, 86, help convict killer 12 years after she was stabbed and set on fire at home

President Donald Trump

Donald Trump says he trusts Putin and that Russia should return to G7 - labelling Moscow's expulsion 'a mistake'

Kanye West, left, and Bianca Censori arrive at the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Kanye West and Bianca Censori 'split' days after Grammys scandal - as rapper releases bizarre message

Near-Earth asteroid, artwork

NASA scientist reveals list of countries that face being hit by huge 'city killer' asteroid the size of Big Ben

'Uncle Sam isn't Uncle Sucker,' US tells Nato - as Ukraine admits it 'won't accept' US-Russia deal without seat at table

'Uncle Sam isn't Uncle Sucker,' US tells Nato - as Zelenskyy says Trump-Putin deal to end war 'must involve Ukraine'

This illustrative image shows Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and United States President Donald Trump (right).

Donald Trump is 'setting preconditions for withdrawing from NATO', his former advisor tells LBC

Semina Halliwell

Girl, 12, who died of overdose after reporting being raped was 'betrayed' by authorities, mother claims

Farishta Jami, 36, pictured, pledged allegiance to Islamic State and had a 'clear interest in the use of children in warfare'

British mother, 36, who tried to move family to Afghanistan to become ISIS martyrs found guilty of terror offences

Jaysley Beck, 19, was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire

Soldier, 19, 'pinned down' by sergeant 'lost faith' after his only punishment was writing apology letter

Michael Steele, who was jailed for life in 1998 for the killings of Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe, can be released from prison, the Parole Board has said.

'Essex Boys' killer Michael Steele to be released from prison 27 years after triple gangland murders

Ukraine 'won't accept any agreements' between Trump and Putin to end war without being involved, says Zelenskyy

Ukraine 'won't accept any agreements' between Trump and Putin to end war without being involved, says Zelenskyy

Naya Rivera

Glee star Naya Rivera's heartbreaking final words to her son before she drowned revealed

Kanye West

There can be no debate about Kanye West - he clearly hates Jewish people and should be challenged on it

The young man was swallowed by a whale

Shocking moment whale swallows kayaker whole before spitting him back out