It’s safe to say that police in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, were not expecting to find a massive eight-foot-long alligator hanging out in their parking lot when they arrived at the station on the morning of July 8.

“Talk about a trespasser!” the department said on Facebook. “Officer Huddleston was the first to arrive when he noticed a very large object in one of the parking spaces. Officer Huddleston parked his vehicle to get a closer look and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. An eight-foot two-inch male alligator had wandered his way into the police department employee parking lot.”

The department said that one of its officers, Sergeant Harden, is licensed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to remove alligators. With the help of staff members, officers were able to wrangle the gator and relocate it to a nearby pond.

“You often hear the saying ‘keep your eyes on your surroundings,’ and today is a perfect example of why you should always be aware of your surroundings,” the department said.

Alligators are common along the coast of North Carolina, living in bays, lakes, rivers, creeks, marshes, swamps and ponds, according to North Carolina Wildlife.

Late last month, firefighters in Brunswick County, North Carolina, had to use a hose on a 12-foot alligator that was seen diving at cars on a dark road.

“With a gentle shower deployed to encourage a retreat, the gator finally decided he was done with civilization for the time being and finally moved on back into his more natural habitat,” the fire department wrote on social media.