The Coppell Police Department is warning residents to be careful when traveling through certain areas along Denton Creek in northeastern Coppell due to increased sightings of an alligator.
Coppell Animal Services confirmed on Wednesday that a giant alligator is currently in town and has been sighted in and around small ponds and tributaries.
Johnny Ahrens told NBC 5 he saw the gator in the creek behind his home on Sunday and spotted it again on Wednesday.
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"My daughter-in-law walks down to the creek and says, 'Hey, there's a gator over here,'" said Ahrens.
"I didn't believe her. We all walked down and sure enough, literally from the fence, there's an alligator. Probably a five, six-foot alligator."
Civilians are advised not to swim, fish, or enter the area's waterways, and they are also advised not to feed the alligator.
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According to city officials, alligators are a regulated species, and city staff cannot remove or relocate the reptile without authorization from Texas Parks and Wildlife.
