T-REX SIZED GATOR Caught in Florida!

(dramatic orchestral music) - 65 million years ago, dinosaurs disappeared from the face of our planet. 25 years ago, a revolutionary insight into Steve Spielberg's mind magically brought them back to life. Anyone who has loved dinosaurs surely remembers the first time they saw Jurassic Park. Eyes wide and filled with childlike wonder, as this cinematic masterpiece not only ignited the imaginations of millions, but also influenced generations of filmmakers to pursue their seemingly impossible dreams. Myself and the Brave Wilderness team are no exception, so with an unprecedented level of excitement we proudly present Jurassic World Explorers. (majestic orchestral music) The Florida Everglades.

This stunning expanse of iconic wilderness spans more than one million acres and its aquatic ecosystem provides the perfect refuge for one of our planet's top predatory reptiles: the American alli

gator

. These prehistoric-looking creatures have been on our planet since the days when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, but they managed to survive past the mass extinction of their ancient relatives. (intense orchestral music) I've always considered the American alli

gator

to be the king of the Everglades, and in this episode, our goal is to compare this living fossil to the supreme king of the dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex. To achieve this ambitious comparison, we will work on Everglades Alligator Farm.

In its own right, this location is quite similar to a real-life version of Jurassic World. Considered an educational wildlife sanctuary, it is home to many rescued or rehabilitated animal species, and each year thousands of visitors flock to the park to marvel at its main attraction: the alligator breeding pond. This body of water is home to over 200 predatory reptiles, armed with bone-crushing jaws and an insatiable appetite for the next meal. I was asked to assemble a team of crocodile experts who will help me capture, collect biometric data, and microchip one of the largest alligators in the pond.

The reason for this request is so that the park can assess the health of this breeding population, but before we embark on our mission, let's first meet the capture team. Mike Easter is a master trapper and for over a decade has been working with various conservation groups to capture, tag and promote the preservation of large crocodiles. Chris Gillette is an expert in crocodile behavior who has an unprecedented level of knowledge when it comes to recognizing and reading the moods of these highly intelligent reptiles. And last, but certainly not least, is Mario Aldecoa of Brave Wilderness, an experienced wildlife biologist who specializes in crocodile husbandry, health and welfare.

In their particular fields, these three are considered some of the brightest minds, and if there was ever a perfect team to help me accomplish the task at hand, it was them. (thundering orchestral music) As the sun sank in the sky, we carefully prepared our traps and double-checked our data collection equipment. The equipment was ready and with our plan in motion, it was time to head out to the park. In ominous Jurassic style, a large tropical storm was brewing on the horizon and neither dissipating nor changing course, meaning we would have to work quickly to achieve our objectives.

Capture from team to camera team. We lower the perimeter fence, cross sector five and approach paddock nine. Are you guys ready? - This is the camera equipment, we are ready and loaded. Ready here in paddock nine. - Understood. - The beams of our flashlights illuminated the perimeter of the breeding pond and I felt a surge of adrenaline in my bloodstream. As my mind danced with nostalgic memories of Tyrannosaurus rex crashing into the electrified fence. With a loud crunch of gravel, we stopped just before a set of gates. This was the restricted entrance to the alligator pen.

Alright guys, this is it. We have reached sector five, paddock nine, and just on the other side of these doors is the alligator breeding pond. Now, our goal tonight is to extract one of the larger males so we can extract biometric data, but we want to be as covert as possible. So Mark, if you're ready, turn on the infrared. - Alright, here we go. Everyone, turn off the lights. Darkening. - Well ok. Alright, guys. What we have to do is go through both doors, stay quiet, try not to scare the alligators, and then we'll catch one of the big ones.

Here we go. (eerie music) (door clang) - Cautiously, we walk along the rocky edge of the pond until we reach the waterline. We had arrived, and as we looked across the dark water, our lights reflected in the eerily glowing eyes of countless alligators, an intimidating congregation of hungry reptiles, all watching and waiting for their chance to savor a fresh meal. There are many eyes. The team was in place and there was no turning back. It was time to catch a modern Tyrannosaurus rex. Alright Chris, let's start introducing meat into the equation and see if we can get some of the animals in. (meat splatters) Alright, camera crew, you can move forward.

Wow, that was a big alligator that just... - That's a big boy, wow! - Bring them, here they come. - Careful. (crocodile splash) - That's the one, I think. - Maybe, but we have many on the way. - I say do it, guys. - Chris, turn it up. - Animal, animal. - Hit the light. - Light! - Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Cut him some slack, cut him some slack. - With the trap secured around the giant reptile, a battle of prehistoric proportions broke out between the giant and the man. (suspenseful orchestral music) The ultimate game of tug-of-war was underway and the stakes could not have been higher.

For us, a victory meant getting the animal safely ashore to collect our data. A loss meant being swept into a watery destination full of hungry alligators. So, we have one of the largest animals at the end of the rope, but the problem is that there are alligators everywhere. We need to try to get some of the other animals away before mentioning this one. Check it out. We are beginning to conjure up feeding grounds, and the last thing we want is for any of us to fall into the pit there. The alligator fought us with an unmatched level of reptilian power and, when possible, we fought it toward shore with all our might.

The process was repeated for almost 45 minutes and was exhausting. The goal here is to let the animal tire out. Once it reaches land, it will explode in power. The less explosion we have, the more chances we have of not being bitten, and we certainly don't want to cause any harm to the animal, so it is best to let it get tired while it is in the water. Exhausted, I gasped for air as streams of sweat ran down my face. My muscles were crying out for relief, but it was time to get the giant out of the water. - Here we go, pull, pull, pull, pull, pull, pull. - The safest plan of action was for Mike and I to stay focused on the rope, keeping it taut so the alligator couldn't go any slacker.

Chris moved carefully behind the animal, away from the jaws, and lifted its tail out of the water and toward the embankment. Finally, with an incredible burst of adrenaline-fueled power, we pulled the prehistoric-looking reptile from the watery confines of the pond. - Mike, do you have it? - I have it. Yes, be careful with your jaws, Mario. Here we go. Pull it back, pull it back, hold, hold, hold, hold. - The alligator was huge. With its mouth open, the animal turned its head and went into fighting mode. A single bite from this reptile's tyrannosaur-like jaws can pack enough power to crush and kill a human. - Mark, I'm going to switch to regular. - Alright guys, what we need to do now is secure the jaws of the alligator, and that's possibly the most dangerous thing we'll do in this episode.

Now to do that, I'm going to get on the alligator's back, hold it in place, Mike will follow me and then Mario and I will work together to make sure we can catch them so they close. we can start collecting biometric data. Wow, okay guys, this is perfect. They are ready? - If we are ready. - Bring your tail straight? - Yes, good. Alright, this guy doesn't like this. Wait. - Aren't we going to secure the jaws before we leave? - No, I'm going back like this. - Watch out for the tail, Mario. - Take care, take care. - There we go, there we go.

Here we go, ready. Ready? - Yes. - Did the boys have a good chance? - Yes. - One, two, three. (crocodile whistle) - There we go, wow! Wow, listen to that scream. Well, I have my weight right behind his legs here and on his neck. Now, the most important thing we need to do is secure those jaws, but before we do that, go ahead and widen those teeth, and that's awesome. Look at that skull structure. It's a huge animal, and the American alligator has one of the most powerful bite forces in the world, and when it comes to reptiles, nothing beats it as king in the United States.

Now try to imagine what a T.rex bite would be like. - No no! (T. rex roaring) (bones crunching) (man screaming) - With over 50 serrated teeth and extra-powerful neck muscles, they were capable of biting with over 7,000 pounds of force, allowing them to tear and throw a piece of hundred-pound meat in the air, using a terrifying behavior called inertial feeding. - Very good, bring the trap. Here we go. Careful, careful. Take care of your fingers. Mike, do you have a good grip? - I have it. - Well. - It works well. - He has power, guys, he has power. - Coyote, give him a little push down on the upper jaw, push down, push down, good. - Are you okay, Chris? - Yes, his head is so big that I can barely grab it with my hands. - Very good, entering the danger zone. - There's not much here. - Yes. - Less power opening its mouth than closing it, but still, that head becomes a battering ram if this alligator decides to move.

Be careful Mario. In fact, I'll close the animal's eyes a little. Keep calm. Now, one really interesting thing I want to show you, a characteristic that exists in crocodiles and some birds, is the fact that they have a nictitating membrane. It is a small protective lens over the eyeball that defends that eye. So, check this out, go ahead and get really close to his eyeball. - The tape is over. - Look, look, look, look. - Well. - Alright, here we go guys, ready? I'm going to gently close my eye. Ready? One, two, three, open. (gasps) Did you see that? - Oh yeah. - Now, those transparent glasses help protect the eye.

You might also recognize that from Indoraptor's Jurassic World: Falling Kingdom. That hybrid dinosaur was created with a nictitating membrane, and when these alligators come completely out of the water and walk on all four limbs, they really look like a prehistoric creature. Now, as we know, crocodiles have been on the planet for 240 million years. These animals existed during the time of the dinosaurs, they competed with the dinosaurs, they even ate dinosaurs, and as we know, because we're filming this episode today, they have survived beyond the dinosaurs. Tyrannosaurus rex roamed the Cretaceous period, between 68 and 66 million years ago. (T. rex roaring) A significant amount of time after the first crocodiles, but what's fascinating is that at one point they both shared a common ancestor with a lineage of ruling reptiles known as archosaurs. (T. rex roaring) Alright guys, it's building up power.

Wait wait wait. Let him do what he's going to do. - Oh man. - Check it out. Even with the two of us on top of this reptile, it's able to get up and move us, and I think we're probably justified in collecting biometric data now. - Let's put this blindfold on him. - Yes ready. - That will keep the reptile calm while we do this. I'm going to gently push the snout down. Using a flexible measuring tape, we precisely recorded the length of the animal's skull. - 50.8. - And its entire body from the snout to the tip of the tail. - 348.5. - (gasps) That's a big animal.

What is that in feet? - 11 1/2 feet. - Wow, that's a huge reptile. 11 1/2 feet, and I'd guess between 600 and 700 pounds. Next, Mario needed to gently extract a blood sample from the alligator's tail. - Honestly, I don't know if this needle will be big enough. - Well. - The skin and thickness of the scales of this animal is enormous. We'll try, and the goal is simply to get some blood so we can send it for analysis. - Good, excellent. Now, this blood sample, what it's going to do is help us determine the health of this alligator population as a whole, and you know what it reminds me of, that scene in Jurassic World: Falling Kingdom, when Owen and Claire have to do the Blood transfusion between Tyrannosaurus rex and Blue.

How are we doing back there, Mario? - Ah, here we go. I got a flash. I have some blood. - Yes, for an alligator, that's like a little prick. We want to put as little stress as possible on the animal. WithWith a viable blood sample secured, it was time to take the last crucial step: implant an Avid microchip. This Avid chip is a unique identifier of the animal. In fact, you have seen us do this before with other crocodiles and, of course, with lions in South Africa. Now, this is not a tracking mechanism, as we saw with the Indominus rex, but it will help us uniquely identify this animal if it is captured again in the future. - Okay, guys.

We'll start right here, on the right side of the tail, between this scale fold. Ready? Entering. Check it out, Chris. (chip reader beeps) - There it is. - Excellent. So from now on, this animal will be identified with that number. If we capture it again in the future, we will scan it and, if it is this animal, we can compare data, see if it has grown, and evaluate its health again. - Alright guys, this was incredibly successful. We have collected all the biometric data we need. Chris, if you want to remove the towel, I have the neck. - Very good, ready? - Yes. (gasps) Reveal the beast.

Alright guys, well we're almost calming down and it's time to take the alligator back to the breeding pond. Now what we're going to do is take the tape off the snout, we're going to take the bow off the neck, I'm going to give them an outlet and then we're going to wrap it. Alright, Chris, are you ready? - Yes. - Okay, I'll gently close the alligator's eyes to keep him calm. There you go, big guy. Good, good, good, good. Alright, the muzzle is coming. Mike, hold your position. - Good. - Okay, the jaws are hot. I'm removing my hand from my eyes.

Here we go. Okay, guys, I'm going to loosen the neck tie. Here we go, ready? - You could pass me that slack right here. - Yes, there you have it. Okay, I grabbed my neck. Feed him some more. Well well. Oh, that's a delicate little balance right there. Very well done, Chris. Perfect, phew! There we have it. - Oh, Coyote. Do you feel that cold breeze? - That wind is coming, guys. - That storm is about to break. - We'll have to finish this scene. - Very good, good material. Under the tarp, under the tarp. - Alright guys, we have a massive storm about to pass, but it has been incredibly successful, safely capturing the king of the Everglades, the American alligator.

I'm Coyote Peterson, be brave. Stay wild. See you in the next Jurassic World adventure. Okay, Mike, you get off first. Here we go guys, I'm getting off the alligator. Here we go. In awe, we watched as the enormous alligator rose to its four legs and slowly returned to the sanctuary of his aquatic kingdom. (menacing orchestral music) From its bone-crushing jaws to its long, muscular tail, when you witness a prehistoric-looking creature like this in action, it's not difficult to recognize the similarities it shares with something like the Tyrannosaurus rex, and while the tyrant The king may be gone, but the king of the Everglades still rules proudly in the age of the modern dinosaur.

Oh! Alright guys, well this is a recap of the Tyrannosaurus rex episode for Jurassic World Explorers, and it couldn't have ended in a more epic way. A Jurassic-

sized

storm just blew through and forced us to take cover. Man, it was amazing to see the king of the Everglades, a modern dinosaur, the American alligator, up close for the cameras. As the storm moved forward, it carried within its walls of wind and water an incredible similarity to the tropical storm from Jurassic Park. (T. rex thuds) (T. rex roaring) Maybe it was just a coincidence, but for me and the Jurassic World Explorers, the end of this episode strangely felt like a scene from one of the best movies ever. time. (T. rex roaring) (dramatic orchestral music) If you love the Jurassic franchise as much as we do, then be sure to come back and watch the Universal Home Entertainment films that sparked an adventure 65 million years in the making.

This collection is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download. Hey Coyote Pack, if you're excited for Jurassic World Explorers, be sure to tune in to the Jurassic World YouTube channel next week when we enter an enclosure with a modern-day velociraptor, and don't forget, subscribe to their channel, then click in the notification bell so you can join me and the team on our next Jurassic World adventure. (loud logo) (animal roar) (distant bird call)