A five-foot-long estuarine crocodile entangled in a fishing net was rescued by forest personnel much to the relief of residents of a village in Kendrapara district.
The juvenile reptile had strayed into Luna River from Bhitarkanika river system and an inland fisherman found the animal stuck in his fishing net near Orataghat village in Mahakalapada police station area.
After spotting the reptile webbed in the net, locals including fishermen panicked and informed the police and forest officials. Later the forest personnel rescued it alive. The crocodile is safe and no injury was caused to it while it was rescued by skilled wildlife staff of the forest department, said, forest officials.
The croc had strayed into the water-body from salt-water creeks of Bhitarkanika. It would have left for its original place of habitation sooner or later.
The crocodile was later released in the wild of Bhitarkanika river system, they said.
People mostly living on fishing activities were left panic-stricken following the intrusion of crocodiles.
The water bodies traversing through the village owe their connectivity to the saltwater river system of Bhitarkanika national park. The water contents of water-inlets creeks in these areas are marked by salinity. That’s why; the animals might have strayed into the water bodies during high tide.
The crocs used to stray in search of food and leave the place for their original habitat within a few days as per their natural instinct, said the wildlife personnel.
The salt-water crocodile population in Bhitarkanika has increased manifold from 96 in 1975 to 1768 so far.