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Alligators found in Marble Falls
A rare alligator sighting is the talk of the town in Marble Falls. FOX 7 Austin was told a resident spotted four alligators in the water.
MARBLE FALLS, Texas - A rare alligator sighting is the talk of the town in Marble Falls. A residents says they spotted not one but four alligators at Lake Marble Falls.
According to police, on July 26, a resident on Colorado Drive spotted an alligator along the bank of Lake Marble Falls. The same resident then noticed three other baby alligators in the water.
The city's animal control officer responded, and saw the three gators in the lake, but didn't see any on land. Her reaction?
"I think it was consistent with everyone else: 'oh my gosh, there may be alligators in the water,'" said Marble Falls Police Capt. James Cole.
Cole says he's pretty sure this is a first in Marble Falls.
"This is something new to us. We're lucky to catch a fish around here," said Marble Falls resident Rick Carrington.
There have not been any new sightings since the initial one, despite animal control returning several times.
"She's looking for tracks. She's looking for slide marks from the land to the water. She hasn't seen anything yet, so we're really not sure where to go from here," said Cole.
Texas Parks and Wildlife said in a statement:
"The TPWD biologist in Burnet County has received reports from the local animal control officer of a possible alligator in Lake Marble Falls. Currently, the biologists have not been able to visually confirm the presence of an alligator... Though seldomly seen in the area, Burnet County is geographically within the known and expected range of the American Alligator, so it would not be unusual or unexpected for alligators to inhabit appropriate habitat."
Experts say gators are generally shy, as long as you don't engage with them.
"Don't feed it. Stay away from it. If you can get a picture, that would be great," said Cole.
Police say if the gators become a danger, they'll consult with game wardens to look at next steps.
"Until then, kind of live and let live," said Cole.
"Be careful out there, y'all," said Carrington.
If you spot a gator, you're urged to call Marble Falls Police at (830) 693-3611.