TWRA comments on alligator sighting in Fayette County

FAYETTE COUNTY, Tenn. — Many residents are reporting sightings of a nine-foot alligator in Fayette County.

People in northern Fayette County posted pictures to social media of a nine-foot alligator near the intersection of Boothe Road and Old Jackson Road.

We spoke to officials with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency to learn about why you may see them more often in West Tennessee.

“People don’t typically think of Tennessee, especially West Tennessee, as in the historical range, but it is. And what we’re seeing are alligators naturally expanding back into the area,” said Amy Spencer with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

After the sighting, many were wondering how an alligator could live in West Tennessee and survive the winter.

“They actually can do that easily by going into a hibernation like dormancy called brumation and what it does is it allows them to withstand periods of ice by sticking their snout out of the water before it freezes and it allows them to continue breathing while it is frozen,” said Spencer.

Spencer says they have had confirmed sightings in Shelby, Fayette, and Hardin County since 2018.

“This is just a testament to the biodiversity in Tennessee and we’re going to see more of these and we just ask people to enjoy the wildlife but also do it from afar,” said Spencer.

So, if you see an alligator how should you react?

Spencer says the animals are protected in the state of Tennessee, and any attempt to capture or kill them is a violation of the law.

If you see one, don’t interact with, feed, or harass it.

“We saw videos yesterday of someone poking the alligator, and that falls under our definition of harassing wildlife and you could be cited for that incident,” said Spencer.

Some comments on Facebook suggest the TWRA released the alligator into the area.

Spencer made it very clear they have never released alligators in Tennessee.

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