LULING - Authorities say a deputy with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office is expected to make a full recovery after being bitten by an alligator Monday.

Nola.com reports that the 5-foot-long animal was found in a backyard of a home in the 100 block of Evergreen Court in Luling. Deputies and an animal control officer arrived to relocate the animal to the wild. Authorities say one of the deputies was detaining the alligator with a catch pole when it pulled free and bit him on the arm.

Another deputy helped pry the alligator's jaw open and free the man's arm. 

Officials say the deputy sustained deep lacerations and punctures to his arm. He was treated at an area hospital then released. The deputy's name hasn't been released.