TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – A trip to Faulkner Park in Lindale will get you some quiet time in the East Texas Pines.
Just watch out for the gator.
“When I got here, I was like, ’There’s an alligator in there?” said Police Chief Brent Chambers.
Chambers says the alligator keeps to itself, wandering the waters at the 170-acre park for about 15 years, locals say. They’re not sure where he came from, though the Sabine River is very close to the park.
“Do not feed or disturb the alligators” signs can be found near the pond, put up in 2017. Chambers said two baby alligators were relocated about ten years ago.
“People started feeding the two little ones. And so they started coming up and getting too friendly,” said Chambers.
The gator, which is believed to be female, stays in deeper water when it’s colder, Chambers said. Its head has been spotted above the water in recent weeks.
Alligators are a protected species in Texas. A special permit is required to hunt or own one.
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