Alligator spotted in Outer Banks caught, tagged, and released

KITTY HAWK, NC (WVEC) — Kitty Hawk residents were told to keep an extra close eye on their children and pets Monday morning. An alligator was spotted swimming in a canal running through a neighborhood.

“It was a big gator, it wasn’t a baby, I wouldn’t want to go swimming with him,” said witness Alex Argiroff.

Argiroff said the Outer Banks felt more like the Everglades.

“Anything big enough to eat me gets my attention,” said Argiroff.

A nine-and-a-half-foot alligator was spotted lurking in the canal right behind the Argiroff’s home on Pineway Drive.

“I came out and the alligator was out over by the No Wake sign, you could just see his head, he went up quite a bit and then went down,” said Kathleen Argiroff.

Police immediately warned all the surrounding neighborhoods.

“I was at work and someone called me and said, ‘get your cat and dog in, three is an alligator spotted on your street,’” said Pat Piland.

Luckily, the two-man Coastal North Carolina Alligator Research Team was a few miles away at Duck Donuts. They were on the scene and pulled the gator to shore with a large fishing rod within minutes.

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