AS HE MARRIES A REPTILE, A MEXICAN MAYOR DECLARES, “WE LOVE EACH OTHER.”

The mayor of San Pedro Huamelula, a town in southern Mexico, Victor Hugo Sosa, married a female crocodile in accordance with custom to benefit his community.

According to local legend, the lizard known as Alicia Adriana stands in for the “princess girl,” according to AFP.

This marriage ritual has reportedly been observed for 230 years in remembrance of the Indigenous groups of the Chontal and Huave coming to peace. The unification of the two cultures is symbolized by the mayor, who represents the Chontal king, marrying the reptile.

The marriage ritual gives the localities a chance to commune with the ground and ask for rain, crop germination, and peace.

The mayor said: “I accept responsibility because we love each other,” during the ritual. That is what matters. Without love, a marriage cannot exist… I agree to get married to the royal girl.