A homeowner at Buckeye Lake says her family believes they spotted an alligator in the water near South Bank Road in Millersport.
Maryann Sandusky says she spotted something strange in the water at about 6:30 Tuesday morning. She says the creature definitely wasn’t a duck and too large to be a turtle. Moreover, the movement didn’t match a carp or catfish breaking the surface of the water.
“I believe it was an alligator,” Sandusky told 10TV.
Sandusky and her son watched the creature glide across the water off her dock before it disappeared out of sight. She told her teenage son, Dylan, to use his cell phone to get video while she attempted to call 911 and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Sandusky posted her son’s video on Facebook, where it received more than 6,000 views. Some comments include “Looks like a stick to me,” and “It’s Bessie the LochNess Monster.”
Wildlife officers with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources reviewed the video and told Sandusky it does appear to be an alligator caught on camera. A spokesperson with ODNR told 10TV, “We have been made aware of the potential sighting and ODNR staff will continue to monitor the lake during their daily activities.”
Meantime, the Ohio Department of Agriculture tells 10TV there are no permits issued for alligators as exotic pets in the area.