A large hissing alligator charged at a Georgia deputy, prompting authorities to use a drone to locate the reptile later on. The incident occurred during a training exercise with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office K-9 teams near a pond. The deputy heard a hissing sound and saw the alligator with its mouth open, causing him to evade the animal by running up an embankment. Fortunately, the deputy was unharmed, and the incident was reported to the state’s Department of Natural Resources. The drone images captured the alligator submerged in muddy water, motionless.
Alligators are not native to north Georgia, indicating that they may have been relocated by humans. The sheriff’s office advised citizens to be cautious around the area where the alligator was spotted, including the pond and nearby stream. Warning signs will be installed in the area to alert people about the presence of the alligator. Despite rare alligator attacks on humans in Georgia, precautions are being taken to ensure public safety.
The Wildlife Resources Division reported only nine alligator attacks from 1980 to July 2023, with one being fatal. Most incidents occurred when a human accidentally stepped on or made contact with a submerged alligator. The agency noted that the remaining attacks were due to the alligator mistaking the human for prey.
