New Hanover County Building Inspector Dean Brown encountered something quite out of the ordinary during his day. Doing a final inspection on a new home in Echo Farms, Mr. Brown went up into the attic to check on things when he noticed something odd shaped by the heat and air unit. At first he believed the object was a fake, stuffed alligator so he took out his flashlight. Under the bright light he found the creature was moving and breathing. When the alligator winked at Mr. Brown, he took that as a sign to back away while taking photographs to share with his coworkers.
Mr. Brown had a difficult time convincing the workers on site about the alligator until one of them saw if for himself. After that, the workers were evacuated and animal control was called in to safely remove the giant reptile.
Do alligators usually reside in attics? I certainly hope not, but this one found the time and patience to climb three sets of stairs while going unnoticed.
A few days before the inspection, the builder noticed dirt on the floors and scuff marks on the walls. He called in the cleaners and had the paint touched up. At no time did anyone think an alligator was to blame.
The eight foot long alligator most likely lived in the swamp land near the new home and found an open door to the house.
Local wildlife such as snakes, frogs, mice and even raccoons will venture into a home on occasion, but to date, this is the first full size alligator to be discovered in an attic.
The alligator was returned to its natural habitat and released.
Photos provided by Dean Brown