FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas — Residents in the Houston-area community of Sienna are reporting an increase in alligator sightings as “gator season” gets underway across Texas, with some encounters happening on land rather than in the water.

Neighbors in Fort Bend County say it’s common to see alligators swimming in local canals and ponds. But this time of year, they’re more often spotted walking along banks and near residential areas.

One recent encounter near a pond at Freeport Golf Course startled a couple who said an alligator climbed out of the water and began moving toward them while they were on a four-wheeler.

“It’s not every day that you see gators acting like this,” one resident said, adding that sightings themselves are routine in the area.

Dominique Sexton, who lives in Sienna, said she recently saw what she described as the largest alligator she’s ever encountered near her home. Photos taken by Sexton and another neighbor appear to show the same animal lingering along the banks.

“Sienna has alligators. It’s built on swampland, so it’s one of the things that you learn to live with,” Sexton said. “This is the biggest one I’ve ever seen.”