TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WSAV) – Police officers helped apprehend a scaly citizen who made a home of its own in a Tybee Island neighborhood Tuesday.

According to the Tybee Island Police, the department received several complaints about the gator living in a pond within a residential area.

Police got in touch with the homeowner’s association who made the decision to have the animal relocated. Tybee Island Police says officers stood by to help Trapper Jack, a local animal control expert, wrangle the reptile, who took it “to a more suitable environment.”

The department is offering advice to others who may come across a gator this summer.

“While many people don’t realize alligators reside on Tybee, they are present in many bodies of freshwater throughout the American southeast,” Tybee Island Police said. “Though they generally go out of their way to avoid contact with humans, alligators can be dangerous if provoked.

“That’s why it’s important to remain aware of your surroundings when near water and never approach or harass a wild animal.”