It was an unexpected discovery at the Atchison County Lake Saturday for a group of fisherman. Instead of making the big catch, they spotted what they believed to be an alligator.

Reporting the sighting to the caretaker, he arrived and confirmed their suspicions, notifying the Atchison County Sheriff’s Department of the odd discovery.

Sheriff Jack Laurie says his deputies, working with the Atchison County Humane Society Monday, used a net, a dog kennel, and other tools to rescue the alligator, believed to have been a pet at one time, but released when it began to grow.

Currently in Humane Society custody, Laurie says the alligator Tuesday will be turned over to exotic animal experts and transported to a reserve area, known as Monkey Island, located east of Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Laurie says the investigation into the past alligator’s owner is continuing, and charges, including animal cruelty, are possible.

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Story by By Brian Hagen / WIBW News Radio