A fisherman caught an alligator on Norris Lake, north of Knoxville, on Monday.
Yesterday afternoon at about 5 pm, Union County Wildlife Officer Rick Roberts responded to a call from an angler stating that he had caught an alligator around 5:00 PM on Norris Lake in the area of Dotson Creek.
When Officer Roberts arrived, the angler had the animal pinned to the ground behind the head and claims he caught it on a swim bait while fishing. After verifying it as an alligator, another officer delivered to little Ponderosa Zoo in Anderson County.
Little Ponderosa doesn’t normally house alligators, so they are possibly looking for another facility for permanent placement.
Alligators are a Class 1 wildlife species, which are those considered inherently dangerous to humans and may only be possessed by permitted exhibitors or commercial propagators. No one can possess a Class 1 or Class 2 species without first obtaining the appropriate permit. Personal possession of any Class 1 species is not allowed.
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.
TWRA would like to remind the public that it’s illegal to possess an alligator in Tennessee and furthermore, releasing them into the wild poses safety and biological threats to humans and the ecosystem.
