LAKE WORTH, Texas — Crikey!
Lake Worth Police responded to an unusual call at the Bank of Texas located off of Telephone Road after a resident reported hearing "hissing" near an ATM.
When officers arrived, along with Texas Parks and Wildlife, they located a 3-and-a-half-foot alligator.
According to Lake Worth police, the alligator was safely relocated to "an appropriate habitat nearby."
"No animals or officers were hurt during this incident," the police department said.
See you later, alligator
According to the City of Fort Worth, alligators live in various freshwater lakes and rivers and were already native to the Trinity River shed and region.
Just last year, huge alligators were seen just north of Lake Worth.
Wildlife photographers Jimmy Martin Jr. and Zach Archibald snapped photos of three alligators near Marsh Boardwalk in the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge.
The City of Fort Worth said residents have been reporting more alligator sightings over the years along the lower portions of Lake Worth. Preliminary findings from the city said the alligator population in the area is between 15 and 25.
If you ever come face to face with an alligator, here are some tips from the City of Fort Worth:
- Never feed alligators
- Avoid swimming and other water activities in areas with large alligators
- Swim only during daylight hours
- Do not dispose of fish scraps in the water
- Closely supervise small children in and around the water
- Do no allow pets to swim, exercise or drink in waters where alligators may be found
- If you hear an alligator hiss, move away. You are too close!