A Hall County Sheriff's Office deputy had a run-in with an alligator Tuesday morning during a training exercise.
K9 teams with the HCSO were reportedly conducting a training exercise around a pond off Allen Creek Road when the deputy heard a hissing noise, officials said Wednesday.
The deputy was laying a track for a K9 team, heard the hissing, and saw the alligator with its mouth open. The alligator charged the deputy, but he was able to run up the embankment and evade the animal, according to the sheriff's office. The alligator is estimated to be between seven and nine feet long.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources was notified of the sighting.
"Alligator sightings are not common this far north of our fall line, Columbus to Macon to Augusta, they are typically not found north of that line," Matthew Hinman with the DNR said. "It is totally possible that somebody had relocated this particular alligator when it was younger and it has found a way to survive our cold winters. But they aren't crawling up the river this far north."
Hinman noted that everything at this point as to how the alligator got into Hall County is speculation. Additionally, the DNR plans to work with the land owner to attempt to relocate the alligator to its more native environment.
The pond is reportedly located in an area that is not typically accessible to the public, however, the HCSO is encouraging citizens to take precautions around water sources in the area, including a stream that feeds into the pond.
Warning signs are being installed, cautioning the public about alligators, snakes and other potentially dangerous wildlife.
The photo included above was captured Wednesday morning by 1st Lt. Dan Franklin with the HCSO through the use of a drone.
