National Geographic has put the rumor of a massive alligator casually walking by a family to rest.
A video was captured of a gigantic reptile trudging along very slowly, appearing to be slow due to its size, age or both. Many assumed the video was a hoax due to the shocking scenes that the video revealed.
However, National Geographic has assured the public that the images are very real and alligators can in fact be that big. The only part that may or may not be fake is the image of a family behind the animal, casually taking pictures and not moving.
The publication said that is is unsure whether or not the people in the video are photoshopped or not, but the Central Florida images of the alligator are as scary as they are real. People are calling the animal “Hunchback” due to its massive back.
Wildlife ecologist and conservation biologist David A. Steen noted that the longest and largest alligator ever recorded is a 14-foot, 9.25-inch creature that was killed in Alabama three years ago.
“The American alligator in the video does not look nearly as big as those record-holders and I have no reason to suspect it is a fake,” he added.
Check out the video here and determine for yourself whether or not it looks real.
