SIMPSON COUNTY - A Mississippi man discovered an alligator while doing yardwork at his home.

WAPT-TV reports a Simpson County resident was raking up a flower bed when he found an 8-foot-7-inch alligator staring at him.

Dr. Chip Holbrook says he was preparing for an after-prom party on Saturday when he spotted the large reptile and called the sheriff's department. He says his son was trimming hedges while the alligator was only inches away, but apparently it was undisturbed.

The state wildlife department removed the gator. Officials believe it had wandered from a nearby 15-acre lake searching for a mate.