A 2-foot alligator found June 29 in the Roanoke River around the historic site in Halifax was relocated to an isolated, yet undisclosed part of the river, and should pose no threat.

Sergeant Carl Hatcher of the state Wildlife Resources Commission said some local residents caught the alligator and called wildlife enforcement to take over.

“We relocated it in the county,” Hatcher said this morning. “It’s in a different location and isolated location. In the historic district it would have been easy for a kid or visitor to discover.”

Most likely, Hatcher said, someone dropped the small American alligator in the river.

It is not believed there are other alligators lurking in the river. If others were in the river it would have sent out a distress call and its mother would respond. “Probably someone dropped him,” Hatcher said. “His main threat is larger predators and cold.”

Hatcher said the swamps and rivers in the area are outside the normal alligator range in North Carolina. The normal alligator range in North Carolina is about 80 miles south of here. “If he survives, I’ll be shocked.”

If people see wildlife that is not native to the area they should report it to the commission by calling 1-800-662-7137 and not try to capture the animal themselves.