MAYNARDVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — A fisherman at a lake in northeast Tennessee caught a surprise at the end of his line when he pulled up a 3- to 4-foot long alligator.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said their Union County wildlife officer Rick Roberts got a call from the angler on Monday describing the unusual catch at Norris Lake. When Roberts arrived, the angler had pinned the alligator to the ground behind its head and told Roberts he caught it on a swim bait.
Alligators are not native to that part of Tennessee and are considered Class 1 wildlife species, which are those that are inherently dangerous to humans and may only be possessed by permitted exhibitors or commercial propagators.
Matthew Cameron, regional communications coordinator for TWRA, said the alligator was taken to Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue, an exotic animal rescue facility in Clinton, Tennessee.
“While the origin of the alligator is unclear, it is evident that it was being illegally held in captivity and possibly released into Norris Lake,” Cameron said in an email.
Cameron said the zoo doesn’t normally house alligators, so the operators are looking for a permanent home for the alligator.
Burglar hurled stolen mobile phones at police from the top of 60ft high roof during nine
Food quality, safety underscored in China's new draft law
Right whale is found entangled off New England in a devastating year for the vanishing species
Jennifer Aniston, 55, and Reese Witherspoon, 48, both stun in chic all
Book of Xi's discourses on Chinese modernization published in English, bilingual versions
Chinese vice premier stresses promoting rural revitalization
CPPCC wraps up annual session, Chinese modernization in focus
Devout Christian doctor, 68, who punched dementia
Chinese vice premier stresses preparation for spring farming
Kosovo prepares a new draft law on renting prison cells to Denmark after the first proposal failed
Leaders highlight goals, tasks in talks