LAKE LIVINGSTON, Texas – A 14-foot, 1,200 pound alligator was caught on Lake Livingston near the Westwood Shores community.
A game warden said the reptile was spotted by several concerned residents who called Texas Parks and Wildlife. The agency employed an alligator hunter to trap the creature and remove it from the community.
Recommended Videos
One resident said she spotted the alligator just feet from her home on a shallow part of the lake.
"He was laying right out there by that stump. My son took a rod and reel and tried to catch him," said Gail Kinard.
She said it was the largest alligator she's ever seen. Living on the lake, she said she's no stranger to these reptiles, but none have come up this big.
Texas Parks and Wildlife officials said that because of a decrease in the water levels, the alligators are being spotted more often in areas where they were not seen before. They said the alligator never caused any danger to residents or their pets.
David Hunter hunted the alligator and caught it. He said it had attacked a deer. He said because of the animals size and magnitude, it had to be killed. It was just too big and dangerous to be relocated to a new location.
Kinard said she's spotted at least six alligators this summer, more than ever before. She said she is just glad the biggest one has been caught.
"I don't want it here because with the water going down and stuff, they're going to be coming up here," said Kinard.
The alligator hunter said this gator was one of the largest caught in east Texas.