No, a large alligator wasn't pulled out of Lake Hartwell as a viral Facebook post claimed

While there isn't a big alligator found in Lake Hartwell this weekend, a viral Facebook post was the latest in a long Anderson County tradition of gator hoaxes.

The post, showing a massive alligator, gained some attention and collected over 2,500 shares on the app since being shared Saturday night.

The post falsely claimed a large alligator was found in the lake and was later taken by state Department of Natural Resources officials to an animal release facility.

Greg Lucas, the Upstate spokesman for the state's DNR said the nearest alligator habitat line is about 120 miles from Lake Hartwell.

Lucas later confirmed, after talking with SC DNR wardens and other officials, that the post was a "hoax and not a very funny one."

The photo shows white dirt and cattails, while a photo of Lake Hartwell would most likely show red clay and no cattails.

Brandon Scott Jackson, who posted the picture, told the Independent Mail in a Facebook message that it was a joke that got out of hand. The post was edited Sunday to remove wording that falsely claimed DNR officials had confirmed the sighting. Jackson declined to talk further about the post.

Not the first alligator in Lake Hartwell hoax

Jackson's post wasn't the first alligator hoax to capture the attention of Facebook users. In May 2018, a video of what appeared to be an alligator in the same lake went viral racking up over 100,000 views. The alligator turned out to be fake and was used by a boat owner to keep geese away.

The chance of seeing a real alligator in the Upstate area are slim due to the low temperatures during the winter.

It's not impossible for an alligator to be released and survive, at least for awhile, in the lake, and there have been rare potential sightings but this one is not legitimate, Lucas said.

Alligator hoaxes and alleged sightings have a long tradition on Lake Hartwell and Broadway Lake in Anderson, with photo contests for the "Hartwell Lake Monster" in the 1980s and other speculations dating back decades and recurring regularly.

Alexis Hamilton is a Beaufort, SC native covering higher education in the Upstate. Reach her at 727-514-5734 or ahamilton@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Was there an alligator in Lake Hartwell? Viral Facebook post is a hoax