Colin and Donna Craig-Brown were working in their New Zealand garden in late August. They were removing unwanted plants when they found something strange.

After a little digging, Colin discovered there was a very large potato growing in his garden. And they did not even plant potatoes!

How large was the potato?

"We couldn't believe it," Donna said. "It was just huge."

The couple worked the potato out of the soil and brought it to a scale.

It weighed almost 8 kilograms.

That's about the same as a small dog.

The potato may be the largest ever recorded.

Guinness keeps a list of world records. In 2011, a large potato from Great Britain weighed just under 5 kilograms. The New Zealand potato, now named Doug, could break the record.

The Craig-Browns asked Guinness to recognize their potato as the largest ever. They are waiting to hear back from the organization.

The potato has become famous in the town of Hamilton. Colin built a small cart to take Doug on walks around the neighborhood.

"We put a hat on him. We put him on Facebook, taking him for a walk, giving him some sunshine," Doug said. "It's all a bit of fun. It's amazing what entertains people."

Colin said he does not have any special gardening methods to pass on. Normally, he and his wife fertilize their garden with waste from cows and dried grasses. The Craig-Browns were growing cucumbers in that part of the garden, so they were surprised to find a potato. It may have been growing for two years or more.

The potato is getting a little old now, two months after it was taken from the ground. It smells bad. Right now, it is in the freezer.

But it might not stay that way forever. Colin said Doug's future may be as the main ingredient in alcohol.

I'm Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by Nick Perry of The Associated Press. Susan Shand was the editor.