Mexican mayor weds alligator

In a colourful ceremony, San Pedro Huamelula Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa married an alligator.

The small-town Mexican Mayor bent down multiple times to plant his lips on the small alligator’s snout, which had been tied shut presumably to avoid unwanted biting during Thursday’s wedding.

Referred to as a little princess, the 7-year-old reptile “bride” is believed to be a deity representing mother earth, and her marriage to the local leader symbolizes the joining of humans with the divine.

“We ask nature for enough rain, for enough food, that we have fish in the river,” said Sosa.

The ritual marriage likely dates back centuries to pre-Hispanic times among Oaxaca state’s Chontal and Huave indigenous communities, like a prayer pleading for nature’s bounty.

The alligator wore a white wedding dress plus other colourful garments.

As the mayor carried the alligator bride in his arms through the streets, men fanned it with their hats.

The godmother who organised the wedding, Elia Edith Aguilar, told Reuters, “It gives me so much happiness and makes me proud of my roots. It’s a very beautiful tradition.”

Oaxaca is known for its indigenous culture and is home to many groups that have maintained their languages and traditions.