Wildlife officials in Oregon killed a massive alligator snapping turtle last Friday for fear that "The Dinosaur of the turtle world" would hurt someone, the Statseman Journal reported.

A fisherman contacted the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife last week after spotting the alligator snapping turtle - which is distinctive because of its spiked shell, beak-like jaws and scaled tail - in the Prineville Reservoir. The snapping turtle was later euthanized at the Prineville district office of the ODFW.

The ODFW dispatched sent biologists to catch the turtle, and it was later killed. Conservationists said the reptiles are aggressive and pose a threat to the native fish in the reservoir and also to humans.

"We euthanized it as soon as we got back to the office," Greg Jackle, a district biologist, told the Statesman Journal. "It's obviously a very large turtle that was not something that we've ever seen over here before."

The turtle was killed using protocols established by the American Veterinary Medical Association. In this case, the turtle was sedated and then dispatched with a blow to the head.

The department said the snapping turtle is native to the Southeast but is an invasive species in Oregon. It was the first reported sighting of one in the Oregon Wild, according to Newsmax.

"I'd hate to see these turtles get established in Oregon," ODFW Invasive Species Coordinator Rick Boatner said. "We already have problems in the Williamette Valley with common snapping turtles."

Wildlife officials said the turtle may have been a pet that was released into the reservoir.

"People get these turtles when they are small and release them when they get too big and aggressive to keep as pets," Simon Wray, an ODFW conservation biologist, told KPTV.com. "It's a poor choice for a pet and the environment."

According to National Geographic, the alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America and can grow up to 250 pounds and are considered aggressive. It primarily eats fish but can also capture other animals such as ducklings. And, its bite is a safety hazard to people.

According to the Examiner, the massive turtle can harm people especially when people, out of curiosity, get too close to the animal.

The shell of the alligator snapping turtle is being prepared to become part of the department's educational display of non-native invasive species, Jackle said.

Officials said it probably wouldn't have survived the cold winter according to The Inquisitr.