FAYETTE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Alligator sightings are becoming more common in Tennessee as the ancient creatures make their way north from the Deep South.

“It crossing the road is kind of what you would see in Florida but you are seeing it in Tennessee,” Amy Spencer with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency told NewsNation affiliate WKRN.

A gator quickly became the center of attention Monday afternoon on Boothe Road in northern Fayette County.

“To see an alligator in this part of the country would be a very small chance. This is an area that we don’t have a high population yet. I think Florida, Louisiana are the top two,” Spencer explained.

It’s by no means the first alligator sighting in Tennessee. Spencer said 2018 marks the first documented alligator in the state.  

“In West Tennessee, we have had several confirmed sightings since 2018; Shelby County, Fayette County, Hardin County they are all in that area that we’ve seen alligators.”

The gator spotted in Fayette County appears to have been swimming around Tennessee a while, with Spencer stating it looks to be a healthy 7 to 9 feet long.

“There’s currently 10 states who have alligators and if you think of Mississippi who has had a healthy population for years, they even have a hunting season. We are closest to Mississippi, that’s the logical association of where they came from, but Arkansas has alligators so we can get them from the south or the west,” she explained.

If you see an alligator, remember it’s a wild animal. Spencer said admire it from a distance, but don’t feed it or get too close because they can move fast.

The animals are protected in the state of Tennessee, and any attempt to capture or kill them is a violation of the law.

Neighbors in Fayette County said deputies stood guard of the gator after videos surfaced on social media of someone poking at it with a stick.

“What we don’t want is an unprovoked attack but when you start provoking it by poking it or getting close, that’s when people get bitten or injured is when you are interfering.”

Alligators are looking for somewhere to move and with constant growth and loss of wet lands. Spencer said they are likely to keep coming this way.

“You are seeing the northern fringe of this, so don’t expect to go out and see one, but don’t be surprised if ‘hey that’s an alligator, yeah it really is an alligator,'” laughed Spencer.

As for Tennessee winters, Spencer said the gators have no problem surviving.

“Basically what they do is they put their snout just above the water so you have the air holes and they are breathing with everything froze all around it.”

According to the TWRA, alligators are a protected species and catching or shooting one is a violation of Tennessee law. Possessing or releasing alligators in Tennessee is illegal and poses safety and ecological risks as well. 

If you see an alligator in Tennessee, contact the TWRA as they are tracking sightings.