Not many know this but alligators have been in Alabama for decades.
According to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, sightings of these large, swamp monsters have increased. The reason could be any number of factors.
The Tennessee River offers a great transportation route for them.
“Alligators can move long distances over land. It’s a common misconception that they are limited to water,” Marianne Hudson with the department stated, WHNT reports.
Watching them from a safe distance is fine, and if one is giving you problems then call wildlife officials and do NOT try to handle it on your own. It is worth noting that alligators are a protected species in the state, without a hunting permit it is illegal to kill one.
Hudson also states that the gator population in the northern part of the state has been rising since the 1970s.
Story via Ethan Fitzgerald with WHNT