I agree. Obviously something’s up with the increased sightings and the USFWS recent interest in documenting these.
I also have published stories here in Tennessee about the alligator populations in the western portion of the state, although alligators are not native here. I actually watched several small gators once in Reelfoot Lake.
Also, recently published a brief article about two bears (one collared) seen in west Tennessee, which were suspected to be from some stocked in Arkansas. We do have bears in east Tennessee, but haven’t had a population in the west in a century.
Coyotes are not native here, but we have a large number of them, in fact now have a year round, no limit, hunting season. Oh, and we also have non native armidillos in west Tennessee.
Western Tennessee is becoming quite the unreal spot for zoology. Gators and armidillos, no less. Wow! How in the hell would gators get up in that back country? Folks bringing them home from visits to Florida, you reckon?