Meet the 10-foot alligator caught in Mississippi!
A 10-foot-2-inch alligator named Yellow 410 was recently caught by two brothers, Jim and Richie Denson, setting a new state record. Yellow 410 (a name given during conservation research) was caught on the Pearl River on August 28th by two brothers. These two brothers, Jim and Richie Denson, had gone out for a hunt and ended up setting the new state record! During the struggle, the brothers ended up breaking their rod and a snare pole and nearly flipped their boat. Finally, they were able to pull the gator in and officially set the record. Yellow isn’t the largest gator to have ever been caught, but she was the largest female gator to have ever been caught in the state of Mississippi. Although the brothers set the record only a few days ago, it wasn’t actually the first time that Yellow had been caught! In fact, Yellow 410 got her name during a tagging program in 2011 during a research project. Incredibly, the Densons caught the gator only 100 yards from where she was originally tagged and named.
What was the largest female alligator caught before Yellow 410?
Yellow 410 was an incredible animal that tied the previous world record and broke the state record! Before Yellow, a wild female alligator was caught and tagged in 1984, measuring the exact same. There have been larger wild male alligators caught, but there is a separate recording system for them. As the record stands, the largest wild female alligator to have ever been caught was found in 2021 in Florida. This individual measured 10 feet and 6.75 inches, about 4.75 inches larger than Yellow.
Why did they kill Yellow 410?
As is standard for hunting practice, Yellow 410 was killed by the hunters who found her. Although it may seem sad, Mississippi allows for alligator hunting in order to help populations remain in check. Additionally, the revenue brought in from hunting funds a lot of conservation work around the state. When Yellow was killed, researchers estimated that they may have been between 75 and 100 years old, making her one of the oldest gators in the world. Although Yellow was killed after being caught, she had lived a long life filled with plenty of fish before that.
How many alligators live in Mississippi?
The current number of alligators in Mississippi is between 32,000-38,000 individuals. The hot, wet climate of Mississippi allows them to have one of the highest gator populations in the country. This number is managed by conservation research as well as hunting practices. Each year, hunting season opens in August and allows for two gators over 4 feet long to be taken, although only one can be over 7 feet. Through these efforts, Mississippi has an extremely stable population of alligators.
What state has the most alligators?
Louisiana has the most alligators out of any state in the US. Current estimates show that Louisana has around 2 million individuals, with 1 million of them being totally wild. Since most of the state is swampland, it’s the perfect home for these scaly reptiles. Florida comes in a close second, with around 1.3 million alligators. Mississippi is currently listed as number 7 on the list of most alligator-infested states in the US.
What is the largest alligator to have ever been caught?
The largest alligator to have ever been seen (although unofficially documented) was found by an environmentalist named Ned McIlhenny. The gator was 19 feet 2 inches long and was dying of exposure, although the story is simply a story.
