Massive 700-Pound Alligator Found In Georgia Irrigation Ditch Is Not A Hoax [PHOTO]

A massive alligator that weighs about 700 pounds and spans over 13 feet and 4 inches was recently discovered in an irrigation ditch in Georgia, according to officials with the Georgia Department of National Resources.

Georgia DNR spokesperson Melissa Cummings, who is a biologist, revealed that the reptile was found in an irrigation ditch near Lake Blackshear where it had been living for nearly a week.

“It’s a testament to Georgia’s alligator management program that alligators can grow to this size,” she told First Coast News. “The only way these animals get this large is by avoiding humans.”

The alligator was found to be riddled with several old gunshot wounds and had to be put down because of its poor health, Cummings said.

When photos of the massive alligator were first uploaded on social media, people initially thought it had been a hoax. However, wildlife biologist Brent Howze, who can be seen crouching behind the animal in the picture, told Cordele Dispatch that the alligator is real. He added that he didn't get too close to the reptile when he took a photo with it.

Howze also said that he had been one of the people to transport the alligator out of the ditch after a resident of Sumter County found it there on Monday morning.

“It took a while to get it out of that ditch. It was bigger than we originally anticipated, and we had to use heavy equipment to move it,” Howze told the outlet.

While the alligator is massive, this is not the largest one ever found in Georgia. Found in Lake Walter F. George, the biggest alligator ever discovered in the state was 14 feet long. It was harvested in 2015 after Georgia's alligator hunting season.

According to Cummings, the heaviest alligator hunted back in 2011 was the same length as this latest massive reptile but weighed even more at 860 pounds.

Male alligators can grow up to 16 feet in length, but gators that are 14 feet long are rare, according to the Georgia Wildlife alligator fact sheet. The females can grow up to 10 feet.

But despite their size, Howze assured that there is no need to panic and that everyone is "perfectly safe." He told Albany, Georgia, TV station WALB that alligators have been here for centuries, they’ve been existing with people for centuries and they’re gonna continue to."