A 150-year-old Alligator Snapping Turtle Was Caught and Released by a Texan.

Justin Broomhold was with a friend on a normal fishing trip on Lake Cherokee on fathers day. He was hoping to catch some catfish with a bait of dough, but instead, a 200 alligator snapping turtle took his bait.

Before setting free the giant animal, he lifted it for a FaceBbook picture. Justin Broomhold said he was used to doing lifting and all the 200 pounds that weighs the alligator snapping turtle were easy for him, he was a bodybuilder in High School .

But lifting an animal is different from lifting weights and he had some trouble picking it up. Broomhold’s three-year-old son started to panic and shout “Let it go! Let it go! Put it back!”, thinking the animal was a giant dinosaur.

Alligator snapping turtles are species in extinction danger and it’s illegal to possess or kill one. This animal in the picture is calculated to be 150 years old and to weigh 200 pounds. After the picture, Justin Broomhold set free the ancient dinosaur turtle. 

“Wanted to share what my Dad and his buddy caught at Lake Cherokee in TEXAS yesterday! I wanted to add this so folks can understand… They had 2 rusk county wardens come out. He is expected to be close to 200 years old. He was RELEASED back into the lake unharmed.” wrote Kristine Marie Ritter, daughter of Justin Broomhold on a FaceBbook post.