9-foot gator removed from NC neighborhood on ‘leash’ after unauthorized stroll

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SUNSET BEACH, N.C. — Officers with the Sunset Beach Police Department receive their fair share of animal complaints, but a recent encounter illustrated just how special coastal living can be.

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According to a post on the department’s official Facebook page, officers responded to Oyster Bay Drive on Oct. 15 after receiving multiple complaints about a 9-foot alligator wandering through the neighborhood.

Based on witness accounts, officers determined that the reptile, who had broken through the porch lattice at a reservation office and attempted to enter the seaside town’s community pool, just needed to cool off, WSOC-TV reported.

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In the spirit of both hospitality and a healthy amount of caution, officers obliged by fashioning a makeshift leash and leading the gator to a nearby pond, the TV station reported.