Gator spotted in Gwinnett County homeowner's pond

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga - A new gator has made its way into metro Atlanta.

Just weeks after the Chattahoochee gator was caught, one has moved in to a homeowner's pond in Gwinnett County.

Bill Compton said he was getting ready to tend to his vegetable garden Sunday, when he spotted something a little unusual in his pond.

“Casually glanced at the lake and saw several turtles and kind of in my mind said that is way too wide to be a turtle,” said Bill Compton.

The gator is between four and a half and five and a half feet long.  In the nearly 20 years Bill and his wife Janice have lived in their Gwinnett County home, they have seen their fair share of wildlife, but never an alligator.

“We even last fall had river Otter playing in the lake one evening, so wildlife is not unexpected, but alligators are a little outside the normal parameters,” said Janice Compton.

Bill and Janice called The Department of Natural Resources who came out to the home.  The couple said DNR will consult with Gwinnett County and make a determination to remove the alligator or to just leave it at the property.

“As long as he is not doing something harmful to somebody, he is welcome to swim around and make himself at home,” said Janice Compton.