Reports of a large alligator sunning itself on Palestine Road turned out to be more than just another tall tale.

After receiving a number of complaints Tuesday evening of a large alligator in the middle of Palestine Road, Picayune Police Assistant Chief Jeremy Magri went to investigate.

The alligator was reported to be in the area of Ben Taylor Park and the nearby church. Magri said that area is residential.

Upon checking the area, Magri was able to locate where the alligator was exiting the woods, and tracked it to a small pond in a wooded area behind the nearby church. What he found was not a small animal.

“I realized it was a little more than I could handle,” Magri said.

After getting some photographs of the animal, Magri notified Chief Bryan Dawsey of the situation, who in turn called the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks due to the dangerous nature of such a large alligator living so close to a church, playground and homes.

The Department of Wildlife responded to the area at about noon on Wednesday, and when they saw how large the alligator was, they called in trapping agents.

Magri said the trapping agents arrived Wednesday evening and were able to take the alligator into custody. The animal was measured to be 9-feet-long.

As the agents were working, Magri said concerned members of the church came out to see what was going on. Once they realized a large alligator was being trapped, they expressed their gratitude, especially since they have witnessed small children swimming in that same pond. While they never saw the alligator, they were still concerned for the safety of the children due to the secluded nature of the pond. Magri said the church members had reported chasing a number of children out of the pond for fear they would be bitten by a snake or other animal.

“It was not a safe place for kids to swim,” Magri said.

This was not the first report of an alligator being seen in that area, but this was the first time such an animal had been located, Magri said.