Record alligator killed in Mississippi by hunters

The alligator captured and killed by four men was more than four metres long

And make it snappy: Tanner White, Donald Woods, Will Thomas and Joey Clark hoist, with the help of a forklift, the longest alligator officially caught in Mississippi. AP

A group of hunters have captured and killed the longest alligator ever to be recorded in Mississippi, according to the state's Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

"Congratulations to these Mississippi hunters," the department said in a Facebook post.

Four state residents – Donald Woods, Will Thomas, Joey Clark and Tanner White – caught the male alligator on Saturday in west Mississippi's Sunflower River.

It weighed 364kg and measured 4.3 metres, breaking the previous record by more than 5cm, the department said.

After killing the reptile, the hunters hoisted it with a forklift and posed for a picture at Red Antler Processing in the Mississippi Delta town of Yazoo City.

The area is in a designated alligator hunting zone.

Mississippi’s alligator hunting season opens on the last Friday in August each year. In 2023, the season ends September 4.