Hunters Kill 185-Year-Old Alligator in Mississippi – Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
A group of hunters in Mississippi shot and killed a 185-year-old alligator that was used for target practice by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.
The Truth:
The claim that a 185-year-old alligator was shot and killed in Mississippi is a hoax.
The fake news website World News Daily Report published a story in November of 2014 that reported hunters found nine “spherical projectiles” inside the alligator, which indicated that it had been shot by Confederate troops during the Civil War:
“Nine of the wounds on the animal are believed to have been caused by Enfield Pattern 1853 rifle-muskets. These old injuries were concentrated around the animals tail and hind legs, suggesting that the reptile could have possibly been used as a target for shooting practise by Confederate troops.
“The huge animal also bore five other bullet wounds from three different calibers of hunting rifles, as well as many dents and scars, which shows that it survived many firearm injuries in the past. It did not however, survive the six .50-caliber bullets fired at him by the group of amateur hunters from Jackson, who were finally able to take it down.”
The bogus story was shared more than 200,000 times on social media. But the disclaimer for World News Daily Report states that the website “assumes all responsibility for the satirical nature of its articles and the fictional nature of their content.”
And a photo that appeared with the story that shows four men standing behind a slain alligator was actually taken in Mississippi, but it doesn’t show a 185-year-old alligator. The alligator shown in the photo weighed in at 792 pounds, which set a Mississippi state record in 2014, NBC News reports.