LUSBY, Md. — A creature appears to be lurking in the waters of Lusby, Maryland, according to one local photojournalist who snapped a photo of what could be an alligator.
Sal Icaza with the Southern Maryland Chronicle spotted and took the picture Thursday, Sept. 15.
The Maryland publication stated the image has been sent to the Department of Natural Resources in the state for identification, and that original RAW files have been preserved for authentication. They added that the exact location is undisclosed until official substantiation.
WUSA9 reached out to the department, which confirmed that the photograph provides insufficient detail for them to confirm the species.
"We do know of alligators in the past found in that region -- having been illegally released into Maryland waters -- so it is possible," said a spokesperson.
Just last year, a father and son in Lusby spotted a 7.6-foot alligator in the weeds while on a Father's Day fishing trip in the Chesapeake Bay.
"I looked down in the water, and there was an alligator head, like right next to my kayak," William Adams said. "I looked for my son, and was like, 'Let's get out of here! Let's get out of here!'"
Adams and his 14-year-old son, Jake Adams, then returned to successfully catch and kill the American alligator several weeks after.
Back in 2015, a scared Montgomery County man discovered an alligator in his koi pond.
"Looked out my window thought I saw a snake walked out to flush him out..took a step there and realized that was no snake," Ryan Alavi said.
That's when Alavi dialed 911.
"This may sound crazy but...we have an alligator in the pond in our back yard," Alavi can be heard saying in a 911 call.
The discovery ended up being the first three-foot gator officers had seen in the area in 18 years.
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