2LT International News

CLINTON, Tennessee: While out fishing on a lake in northeast Tennessee, an angler caught an alligator measuring three to four feet in length, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) said.

Union County Wildlife Officer Rick Roberts received a call from the fisherman this week to report the incident at Norris Lake. When Roberts arrived, the angler had pinned the alligator to the ground behind its head and told Roberts he had caught it on a swim bait, the agency added.

Matthew Cameron, regional communications coordinator at the TWRA, said the alligator, which is not native to that part of Tennessee, was taken to Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue, an exotic animal rescue facility in the city of Clinton.

“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.

He added that the zoo does not normally house alligators, so the operators are looking for a permanent home for them.