The Alligators Below Alabama River Dams Are Turning Into Giants — And No One Knows How Big They Get

American alligators never really stop growing — a male that survives past nine feet has almost nothing left to fear, and decades of good water and easy food can push one far past what most people think the species is capable of. In southern Alabama, a stretch of dammed river has quietly been producing exactly that kind of animal, including one legally taken catch that broke records and took a family most of a night to land. In this video we look at what makes these giants so formidable, how serious the risk to people actually is, the specific conditions under which attacks tend to happen, and the simple rules wildlife officials say keep you out of trouble.