ATLANTA — An alligator spotted several times over the past few weeks just might mean the return of Flat Creek Floyd.
For years, Yvette Shelton has heard about alligator sightings at Flat Creek. She finally decided she had to check it out for herself. She and a friend drove to the Highway 74 bridge over Flat Creek. What they saw had them squealing with excitement.
“I was like oh, my gosh Tonya, this gator is really here,” Shelton said. “She jumped out of that car so fast and of course, I took the video.”
Shelton posted the video to her Facebook page where it has gotten thousands of views.
It might be the same alligator spotted in Flat Creek back in 2016. At the time, Peachtree City Police warned folks against feeding the gator or taking selfies. The gator earned the nickname Flat Creek Floyd. There were sightings reported again in 2018 and 2020.
Alligators can - but typically don’t - venture north of Georgia’s Fall Line. Winters in metro Atlanta are too cold for their liking.
Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources said one of its officers visited Flat Creek last week but didn’t spot the wayward gator seen by Shelton. As long as the big reptile isn’t acting aggressively, the DNR has no plans to trap him but stresses that people should keep their distance, and don’t feed it.
“He’s definitely been eating good,” said Shelton. “From pictures, he’s grown a lot.”
If this marks the return of Flat Creek Floyd, he’s certainly grown on the people of Peachtree City, and Peachtree City has grown on him.