The GREAT Cajun TURTLE HEIST: Alligator snapping turtle populations in Texas were dwindling. One family of smugglers had been poaching them from the state for years.

The article recounts the life of an alligator snapping turtle named Brutus, who lived for decades hidden in an East Texas creek and remained elusive despite the growth of the human population. It details how Brutus was accidentally caught in 2016 by a family of turtle hunters. It also discusses the consequences of overharvesting and the ban on alligator snapping turtle meat sales in Louisiana and Texas, shedding light on the legal issues faced by the hunters who caught Brutus.