MILFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A possible alligator sighting was recently reported at a lake in a popular Oakland County park.
The Huron-Clinton Metroparks organization is warning the community about a possible alligator in Kent Lake at Kensington Metropark, located in Milford Township. Signs have been posted around the lake, letting visitors know that an alligator may be in the water.
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No photos of the possible alligator were provided. Officials said the signs were posted “out of an abundance of caution” and for visitor safety.
In an update provided Friday, May 17, officials said law enforcement, animal control, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Detroit Zoological Society searched Kent Lake early in the morning. Crews used drones, ATVs, boats, and a helicopter, but were unable to spot any alligator.
Officials also said there was only one known sighting of the possible alligator. Authorities could not confirm the size based on the “one reported sighting,” officials said.
If anyone sees an alligator in the area, they’re urged to call park police immediately at 810-227-8910. Visitors should not approach the animal.
Huron-Clinton Metroparks is also urging community members to not leave or release “pets or wildlife of any kind” at the parks or lakes. Because alligators are not common to or native in Michigan, officials say it’s likely the possible alligator was a pet released into the lake.
Alligators in the U.S. live in warmer climates, typically in the most southeastern states near the Gulf of Mexico, and southern states along the Atlantic Ocean like the Carolinas and Georgia.
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