The world-record Stokes alligator has been the talk of the state for quite some time, but now those in Selma have a chance to see it for themselves.

The alligator is on display at the Central Alabama Farmers Co-Op through July. The behemoth gator, which was 15 foot, 9 inches and weighed 1,011.5 pounds was caught Aug. 16 in Mill Creek, a tributary off the Alabama River.

It’s been a couple of years since the Co-Op had the Fancher Gator on display, which did hold the Alabama record at the time.

Tim Wood, general manager of the Farmers Co-Op, said 3,000 to 4,000 people came to see that gator and he’s expecting as big of a crowd, if not a bigger one, to see the Stokes gator.

While we encourage those in Selma to take advantage of the chance to take in history, we’re also hopeful that the gator will bring in tourism dollars for the city.

Hundreds, if not thousands, will likely take advantage of a chance to travel to Selma to see the gator.

Another thing to consider is that alligator hunting started in 2006, so it’s still relatively new to the state of Alabama. In that timeframe, two of the biggest alligators ever recorded have been caught from the Alabama River.

The Fancher Gator set the state record in 2011 and the Stokes Gator obliterated everything we knew about alligators last year. Both gators have served time as the face of the sport of alligator hunting in the state. Both were caught just down the road from Selma, which can only be a good thing for an area that already attracts outdoorsmen from all around the south each fall.