A home inspection took an interesting turn when the enforcement official found a huge 8-foot alligator in the attic of the home.
Dean Brown was carrying out an inspection at a 3-story, new construction home in Echo Farms, North Carolina, when he went to check out the attic and noticed a large figure beside an air conditioning unit.
Speaking to FOX 35, he said: "I thought it was a stuffed animal that someone threw up there as a joke".
"So I just went about my inspection."
However, he soon noticed the "stuffed animal" was breathing.
Mr Brown said he had been about 2 feet away from stepping on the head of an 8-foot alligator.
The alligator appeared to be sleeping, Mr Brown said, until he shined a flashlight in its face.
The animal's eyes opened, prompting the inspector to warn the construction crew who were working, to get out of the house.
However, they didn't take him seriously, Mr Brown claimed.
"They laughed at me! They thought I was crazy!"
But after seeing the alligator for themselves, the crew swiftly changed their minds, calling 911 for emergency help which led to animal control officers arriving to capture the gator.
Mr Brown said he had been working in the business since 1995 and had encountered many crazy situations, but this was a first.
There were wetlands located behind the home and that it was thought a door might have been left open allowing the alligator to get inside, Mr Brown said.
However, it was still a mystery as to how it got into the attic.
