Wildlife officials: Reported alligator in Arizona was likely a beaver

June 1 (UPI) -- Wildlife officials said reports of alligator sightings in an Arizona channel likely stemmed from a presence of a far more mundane animal: a beaver.

Rumors circulated on social media about the presence of an alligator in Lake Havasu City's Bridgewater Channel, and unclear photos taken at nighttime and sent to the Arizona Game and Fish Department depict an animal some observers said resembles a swimming gator.

Local police also reported seeing an unidentified animal swimming in the channel, but they did not speculate as to the species.

Tom Cadden with the Arizona Game and Fish Department said investigators did not find any evidence of an alligator in the area. He said the animal seen in the photos is likely a beaver, as the swimming mammals are often found to be responsible for reported alligator sightings in the state.