Gators in metro Atlanta, third reptile spotted
A third alligator has drawn attention in metro Atlanta, in a spring during which the reptiles seem to be popping up everywhere.
A five-foot gator has been spotted in a pond shared by two landowners near Lilburn, according to Channel 2 Action News.
It joins the Chattahoochee gator, trapped earlier this spring at Cochran Shoals in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, just a little northwest of the tony Buckhead area of Atlanta. That elusive creature had haunted the river for years, being spotted occasionally. The 6-foot-8 gator got comfortable enough to make a home in the swampy areas along one of metro Atlanta’s favorite outdoor recreation areas.
State and federal officials set a series of snares, caught it and shipped it south earlier this month.
About the same time, another gator called Flat Creek Floyd was spotted near Peachtree City, further south. City officials have hired a trapper to send Floyd the same direction as his Cochran Shoals cousin.
Alligators are common in south Georgia, but the Piedmont of metro Atlanta has not been their typical range.
About the Author
Christopher Quinn is a writer and editor who has worked for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1999. He writes stories on Veterans Affairs, business including high-tech growth in metro Atlanta, Georgia's $72 billion farm economy, and he oversees assigning and editing news obituaries.
