A viral social media graphic claiming a 12-foot alligator garfish made an epic journey up the Trinity River is spreading rapidly online,
To verify the claims, I contacted Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) media branch directly.
According to TPWD media representative Kirk McDonnell, the department’s media office consulted with Inland Fisheries staff regarding the image and the claims attached to it.
My first question addressed the whether TPWD has satellite-tagged alligator garfish.
The post uses the word “pinged,” a term commonly associated with satellite-tracked marine animals.
In wildlife telemetry, a “ping” typically refers to a location signal transmitted from a satellite tag — particularly SPOT (Smart Position or Temperature Transmitting) tags that became widely known through shark tracking studies conducted by organizations such as OCEARCH, Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, and the Harte Institute’s Fin Finder program.
“No, the Department does not have any alligator gar satellite-tagged. There have been some acoustic tag studies throughout the last ~15 years, but never any satellite tags.”
They also shot down the idea there was any 12 foot alligator garfish that made the journey described in the social media post.
In the podcast, I also talk about old reports of alleged gar attacks in the South and more.
Chester Moore