Alligator found prowling around Taylor neighborhood

TAYLOR, Texas - It wasn’t your typical suspect being apprehended in Williamson County.

Sheriff's deputies were called to the Taylor area to pick up an alligator, armed with some pointy teeth, prowling around a neighborhood.

“Luckily nobody was hurt and the kids did the right thing,” said WCSO public information officer Patricia Gutierrez. “Two boys were outside playing and they saw what appeared to be the tail of an alligator.”

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The boys were quick to contact help. A fellow neighbor with some experience handling gators helped get an eye on him while help arrived.

“He was able to secure it so when we arrived the alligator was already secure but in other cases, we try to detain the animal as safe as possible, and then we contact the game warden,” said Gutierrez.

The deputies are no strangers to handling the odd animal call; last year one deputy had to lasso a feral hog out of an apartment complex. Though, when it comes to gators, that’s definitely uncommon in the county.

“This is actually pretty unusual. In the last several years we’ve only had a handful, maybe five calls so this is definitely one of the more unusual ones,” said Gutierrez.

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The alligator was turned over to the Texas Game Warden who will determine how it will be released. Alligators are a protected species in Texas and according to Texas Parks & Wildlife, the spring is their mating season.

If you happen to stumble across a gator yourself, Gutierrez said to contact the authorities. “Don’t try securing the animal on your own if you don’t have any experience,” she said.