Locals have been seeing two-foot long versions of the prehistoric fish known as the Alligator gar–once considered extinct in Illinois–in the Kaskaskia River.
It’s been said the gar can grow up to eight-feet long and weigh 300 pounds.
And now the Illinois House and Senate want to reintroduce the frightening-looking fish to its native waterways.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has been prepping a program to reintroduce the largest fish native to Illi
They might also help to restore the river’s ecology by eating the invasive Asian carp that have been making their way up Illinois rivers, like the Kaskaskia.