Angler reels in alligator from Tennessee lake

March 20 (UPI) -- Wildlife officials in Tennessee said an angler cast a line into Norris Lake and reeled in something unexpected: an alligator.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said a Union County wildlife officer responded to a call from an angler who reported catching an alligator in the Dotson Creek or Butcher Hollow area on Norris Lake, near the Highway 33 bridge.

The wildlife officer arrived to discover the creature was indeed an alligator measuring about 3-4 feet long.

The alligator is being kept at the Little Ponderosa Zoo in Anderson County until a permanent home can be found.

Wildlife officials said they suspect the alligator was brought to the area as an illegal pet and released into the lake.