South Carolina Woman Catches 12-Foot, 597-Pound Alligator Just Months After Having Baby

Only months after having a baby, a woman in South Carolina caught an alligator that came in at a whopping 12 feet and 597 pounds. In fact, the catch impressed people so much that she ended up earning herself the nickname of “Gator Girl.”

After footage showed the gargantuan alligator in their pickup truck, Brittany and Matt Livingston made waves across South Carolina, with another video being of the couple going through a West Ashley McDonald’s drive-thru with the gator in September. (RELATED: Wild Video Shows Hundreds Of Whaler Sharks Off Coast Of Australia To Trigger Warning From Expert)

“We had a lot of eyes on us,” said the Livingstons, per Live 5 News. “People were waving, giving thumbs up … even the workers at McDonald’s came outside to see it.”

For five years, Brittany Livingston had applied for an alligator hunting tag through South Carolina’s lottery system for alligator hunting season. In 2025, Brittany’s name was selected in Unit 4, which covers the region of Pee Dee.

“You gain preference points each year,” said Brittany, who is on maternity leave after just having a baby five months ago, per Live 5 News. “This year, I finally had enough.”

Every season, over 12,000 people put in applications for only 1,400 tags that are available. Operated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the system is meant to maintain the population of alligators.

“The goal is not to eliminate alligators,” said South Carolina’s ex-alligator program coordinator Jay Butfiloski, per Live 5 News. “It’s to allow some harvest, which helps manage the population and reduce nuisance issues.”

The Livingstons’ fight with the gator lasted hours, but ultimately, they were able to shoot it in the head for the kill right after 3:00 a.m.