In what sounds like the start of a nursery rhyme, a small-town mayor has married a 'princess' alligator as part of an age-old ritual.
The ceremony took place in the small town of San Pedro, Huamelula, Mexico, with mayor Victor Hugo Sosa sealing the deal with a kiss. Don't worry though, the alligator's mouth was taped shut - for obvious reasons.
Even so, the day was filled with celebration as there was music, a white wedding dress, and the mayor even danced with the reptile surrounded by hundreds of guests.
The small reptile is thought to represent mother earth, and the ceremony is part of a ritual that hopes to bring abundance to the small fishing community.
The ritual has been around for well over 200 years and is part of a local harvest tradition, dating back to pre-hispanic times. At the end of June, the appointed mayor marries the princess alligator and celebrations ensue.
The lucky fella this year was the mayor of a small and fishing village on Oaxaca's Pacific coast, who explained: "We ask nature for enough rain, for enough food, that we have fish in the river."
Oaxaca, located in Mexico's poor south, is rich in indigenous culture and home to many groups that have stubbornly maintained their languages and traditions.
Meanwhile, Elia Edith Aguilar, known as a local godmother who helped organise the wedding, said: "It gives me so much happiness and makes me proud of my roots.
"It's a very beautiful tradition," she added, as reported by Reuters.
Well, Twitter users have been keen to chime in on the situation, with one user simply writing: "I have too many questions ..."
Another explained: "A Mayor in Mexico married an alligator, believed to be a deity representing Mother Earth, to mark the joining of the human and the divine."
While a third got slightly political: "Hey Melania Married Trump so I can see a person doing way way worse. This Mayor deserves a metal for sticking with tradition. Something severely lacking in today’s climate. Do what’s right for the people. You’ll Live in infamy."
One even wondered what the ceremony was like, saying: "A Mexican mayor married an alligator. I’d wanna be a fly on the wall for the first kiss."
A fifth went on to joke about the wedding night, saying: "Hope he doesn’t suffer from e-reptile disorder."
While one user seemed to be rethinking their own life choices: "Maybe marrying an alligator is better than having an actual wife."
We'd argue that you probably wouldn't want to spoon with a reptile but hey-ho, at least you could say 'see you later alligator' every day before work.
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Featured Image Credit: New China TV
Shola Lee