Texas A&M Senior Poses With 14-Foot Alligator in Alarming Graduation Photos
OutdoorHub Reporters 08.07.18
A Texas A&M senior struck a series of poses for her graduation pictures, but there’s something very unusual going on in the photos.
While sporting her Texas A&M graduation cap and stole, Makenzie Alexis Noland stands within a few feet from an alligator that measures nearly 14-feet-long. The massive gator is pretty well known in his home lone-star state. He goes by the name “Big Tex,” and holds the record for the “largest live-captured nuisance alligator,” according to Gator Country, which is where you can visit Big Tex.
As reported by The Wichita Eagle, Makenzie’s risky graduation photos weren’t taken just for the fun of it.
See, she’ll be graduating with a degree in wildlife ecology, and she recently spent a 3-month internship at Gator Land working with and getting to know Big Tex. So it only seems right that she takes a moment to say ‘see ya later gator!’
“It took him a few weeks for him to like me,” she said. But as time went on, the two forged a bond which led to her extra toothy grad photos.
Noland said she is sure to be very careful when she’s around Big Tex, and her boss, Arlie Hammonds, keeps a close eye on the not-so-expected pair of friends. Hammonds reportedly “waded in chest deep water to take the photos.”
