HOPE MILLS — Swimming has been prohibited and residents have been warned to be cautious after an alligator was spotted in a North Carolina lake.
Multiple media organizations reported Thursday the roughly 5-foot-long gator was spotted swimming in Hope Mills Lake, about 10 miles south of Fayetteville. Warning signs have been posted and yellow caution tape has been placed on the public side of the lake where people swim.
Hope Mills Police Chief Robert Hassell is telling residents to stay away from the alligator. A state wildlife biologist may visit the lake in the next couple of days to decide if the alligator needs to be removed.
Authorities think construction near streams that feed the lake may have prompted the reptile to move away from its normal home.