A man has married an alligator-like reptile after declaring they 'love each other'.
After breaking up with my ex, I'm very close to giving up on finding the one altogether. There are too many snakes out there, but maybe alligator-like creatures - caimans - are different?
One man has decided to declare his love for a caiman - a marsh and mangrove-dwelling reptile native to Mexico and Central America - and wed the animal in a traditional ceremony.
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But the practice of marrying a caiman in San Pedro Huamelula town in Oaxaca state, southern Mexico, is more common than you think and there's a cultural significance as to why.
Mayor of San Pedro Huamelulua, Victor Hugo Sosa, wed the caiman - named Alicia Adriana - on 30 June 2023.
He reenacted an ancestral ritual when marrying Adriana - the marriage commemorating the peace made between rival Indigenous groups Chontal and Huave, historically prompted by a marriage.
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The marriage of a man and female caiman is a practice which has taken place for over 230 years in the town - the man representing the Chontal king and the caiman a Huave princess girl referred to in local legend.
According to chronicler of San Pedro Huamelula, Jaime Zarate, as per the Telegraph, the union sees both sides connect with 'the emblem of Mother Earth, asking the all-powerful for rain, the germination of the seed, all those things that are peace and harmony for the Chontal man,' and so is thought to bring luck and prosperity to the town.
During the ritual, Sosa said, as per Sky News: "I accept responsibility because we love each other. That is what is important. You can't have a marriage without love... I yield to marriage with the princess girl."
The celebrations saw Adriana first dressed in a green skirt, tunic and headdress, before completing an outfit change into a white dress, veil and all.
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Precautions were taken, and Adriana's mouth was bound - she is a reptile with many sharp teeth after all.
The caiman was carried around the community to be danced with and held by locals before getting hitched in the town hall.
The dancing then continued after the wedding ceremony - Adriana was then carried through the streets by her new husband, enjoying some traditional music and even a kiss on the head.
Sosa told AFP news agency: "We are happy because we celebrate the union of two cultures. People are content."
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/ RUSVEL RASGADO/ AFPTopics: Animals, Sex and Relationships, World News