Don't worry, meth-gators aren't real. The police just played a stupid prank.

We have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that you can officially cross "meth-gators" off your list of things to be deathly afraid of in this world, because it turns out that they're not actually real. This brings us to the bad news.

You may have noticed a cautionary, deeply concerning "meth-gator" headline or two on the internet last week after a Facebook post from Loretto Police Department in Tennessee went viral.

On Friday, Tennessee police officials revealed that they essentially instilled unnecessary fear in the public by lying about the existence of meth-fueled alligators to make a point about the dangers of flushing drugs down the toilet. Not good!

The post details the arrest of Andy Perry, who police say they caught "attempting to flush methamphetamine along with several items of paraphernalia," and then goes on to warn people about the dangers of potential meth-ingesting animals, such as gators.

"Ducks, Geese, and other fowl frequent our treatment ponds and we shudder to think what one all hyped up on meth would do. Furthermore, if it made it far enough we could create meth-gators in Shoal Creek and the Tennessee River down in North Alabama," the post reads.

Gators are intimidating enough without the added effects of drugs, so when people saw a police station warning them about an increased level of danger, they were understandably concerned. A week after the troubling Facebook post, however, police officials in Tennessee admitted, "meth-gators aren't real," and said that the post was a joke.

"Let us be perfectly clear: the meth gator was a humorous illustration used to highlight the dangers of flushing drugs and other substances down your toilet," the department wrote in a follow-up Facebook post on Friday. "Alas, the meth-gator is not real. Let's say that again: THE METH GATOR IS NOT (at this time) REAL."

As the department went on to explain, the original post was shared worldwide and covered by a number of local and regional TV and radio stations, including NBC News and Fox News.

Though officers at the Loretto Police Department claim they never expected the post to gain this much traction, it's absolutely crucial to stress that cops playing pranks, joking around, or trying to go viral is a horrible idea.

It's not cute or funny when the same people tasked with the momentous responsibility of protecting the public go out of their way to make light of drug use or start false rumors about dangerous animals. It's also not a great look that the Loretto Police Department wants to make "meth-gator" merch in celebration of their viral fame, but at least they're planning to donate the proceeds "to a local charity that deals directly with children affected by drug use."

In the future, try thinking twice before you make a dumb joke that can very easily be taken seriously. Especially if you're the police tasked with delivering valuable information to the public.