Witnesses spot alligator swimming in Lake Erie

ERIE, Pa. ( WJET/WFXP ) — Of all the things beachgoers at Lake Erie would expect to see on a day trip, an alligator certainly isn’t one of them.

However, that’s exactly what several people claim they saw Sunday near the East Avenue Boat Launch in East Erie, Pennsylvania.

After the sighting of a 4- to 5-foot alligator on Aug. 4, eyewitnesses reached out to Erie police who then passed the information along to the Erie Port Authority.

“We’ve been very diligent in making sure to keep an eye on the water and of course on the land. We’ve not had a sighting since then. We have a team in place that is just monitoring our entire footprint and of course, on the water, just to make sure everyone is safe,” said Julie Slomski, the Port Authority’s executive director.

Slomski said the department is working with local trappers and has had communications with people in the South who have experience with alligators.

The Port Authority has also put up signage around the area where the alligator was allegedly spotted, warning beachgoers to tread with caution in the area.

And while the hope is the alligator will be captured soon, reptile experts with the Erie Zoo don’t believe it would survive through an Erie winter.

“They do go into a hibernation sort of thing called brumation where they won’t eat quite as much during the winter, and their bodies will slow down because they’re cold-blooded versus us and other mammals that are warm-blooded. They need the sun, they need the heat to be able to metabolize anything that they do eat,” said Darren Julius, reptile keeper at Erie Zoo.

Julius believes due to the estimated size of the gator spotted in Erie, it’s around 2 to 4 years old and it’ll likely try to have a diet consisting of frogs, tadpoles, fish and maybe even smaller mammals.

Right now, the working theory is that the gator was someone’s exotic pet, and it was unfortunately released by the owner into the lake.

“It’s definitely more scared of you than you are of it, so it’ll probably just swim away from you anytime you’re within like 10 feet of it. It’s not really going to come after you,” Julius added.

Regardless, it’s not advised to approach the animal or try to capture it without professional expertise.

For now, the Port Authority will continue to monitor the area near the East Avenue Boat Launch as well as Lampe Marina and Campground.

“Again, the concern is if somebody just released it in the bay like what we’re hearing happened, it’s disappointing because again, it puts many people in danger along with the gator itself,” Slomski said.

The Port Authority is asking people to call if they spot the alligator at 814-455-7557, extension 223.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.