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Man finds gator in his pond

One cold-blooded creature has created quite a stir in the Shoals community.

Johnny Clemmons doesn't have anything against alligators; he just doesn't want one living inside his pond.

Last week a buddy called him up with some surprising news.

"Asked what I was going to feed that alligator in my pond and I thought he was joking and I took a pair of binoculars and spotted him," Clemmons says.

Sure enough, an alligator was in his pond.

Clemmons' first thought was shock. His second, the animals on his 54-acre farm.

He called animal control.

"We got a report there was an alligator in this pond," says animal control workers.

"They said I didn't have anything to worry about but still," says Clemmons.

Vinny Grosso with animal control says the gator shouldn't be a big threat because they don't feed this time of year.

"They didn't expect the American alligator to survive but they were mistaken."

Late Tuesday afternoon, officials captured the gator by raking a large net across the pond.

The five foot creature is now awaiting a more suitable home.

So how did the gator get there? Well, years ago TVA let them loose to control the beaver population.

Clemmons thinks this gator made its way up to his pond after a nearby swamp dried up two months ago.

ago.