America just released eight-foot river monsters into Asian carp-infested waters, and the results are now in. For years, invasive carp have devastated native ecosystems, outcompeting local fish and wreaking havoc on rivers across the Midwest.
The alligator gar, a native North American fish capable of growing past eight feet in length, was declared completely gone from Illinois waters by 1994. The disappearance followed decades of deliberate killing and habitat loss.In 2010, Illinois joined a multi-state reintroduction effort led by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Since then, thousands of the fish have been released into ri…