A lot of people are talking on social media about the video of an alligator taken at Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville.
When he first saw it, he wasn't sure if it was real.
That's what Mark Harrison said about what he spotted on the shores of Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville last week- an alligator sunbathing.
"The gator was sitting there sunning and I was debating whether it was real or a rubber replica type toy," Harrison said about the sighting near Admiralty Way.
So he did what most people do nowadays - he started shooting video.
"I zoomed in on the gator to get a good close up. I had a fishing rod in my left hand and camera in my right thinking I would tap the water in front of the gator in an effort to get him to move ... it began to move without provocation and I had to pan and zoom quickly to get him moving into water," Harrison said.
As for the authenticity of the video, Jason Clark of Southern Reptile Rescue says it's real. Clark does contract work for the state Department of Natural Resources capturing reptiles - mostly snakes and alligators that end up in residential areas.
Clark said the DNR determined that an attempt to capture this alligator is not necessary. He says people do not need to worry or fear for their safety.
"It looks like it's about 3 feet and with it being Lake Sinclair, it's not a big deal," Clark said in a telephone interview with 11Alive's sister station WMAZ
If the gator was larger and repeatedly spotted in the same area or yard, an attempt would be made to capture it.
Clark said alligators are - for the most part - found south of the frost line, "and this (Lake Sinclair) is just north of the frost line."
