Orange alligator appears in SC neighborhood pond

HANAHAN, S.C. (WCBD/AP) - No one seems to know why there's an orange alligator in a pond near Charleston, but it is becoming a popular neighborhood attraction.

Residents joke the gator used too much self-tanning lotion. Or maybe it's a fan of the Clemson Tigers, who are known for their orange colors.

Residents living near the pond in Hanahan say they've seen the orange or rust-colored alligator a number of times.

"It's a beautiful looking animal but its definitely not a natural color for an alligator. Probably chaulk it up to some kind of environmental factor like algae, or some pollutant in the water," Josh Zalabak of the South Carolina Aquarium to the Associated Press.

Photos show the 4- to 5-foot-long alligator on the banks of a retention pond at the Tanner Plantation neighborhood.

Josh Zalabak of the South Carolina Aquarium said orange or brown is not a natural color for an alligator, and the coloring is probably due to some environmental factor.

Experts say the alligator will shed its skin and probably return to a normal shade soon.

In the mean time the neighors have dubbed the orange alligator the "Trump-A-Gator."