A 68-year-old woman from a remote village of Odisha’s Kendrapara district displayed exemplary courage to survive a crocodile attack.

The survivor Ahalya Parida, from riverside Badiha village, sustained grievous injuries on thighs and is hospitalized. She is stated to be out of danger.

Parida was attacked by a giant crocodile yesterday when she was taking a bath in the Gobari river.

However, she managed to survive following a fight with the attacker. We have been told by the villagers that the survivor displayed courage. She deserves praise for the brave act, said, forest officials.

“The attack was so sudden that she had little time to react. A bamboo stick lying near the bathing ghat saved her from certain death”, the relatives of the survivor said.

It was a miraculous escape. The reptile pounced on her and dragged her to the water. She was about to be completely dragged into the water when she hit the croc on its forehead and eye. The strike paid a dividend. The animal had later released her from its grip. The crocodile was furious and must be above 8 to 10 feet long, they said, quoting the account of the survivor.

Since the past two months, the man-crocodile conflict has reared its head in villages lying in close periphery of the Bhitarkanika national park. The reptiles on the rampage have killed four humans in less than two months’ span.

Forest personnel however are of the view that people are exposing themselves to croc attack by venturing into croc-infested water bodies.

“The forest department has initiated a series of measures to save human and domesticated animals’ lives from preying crocs. Around fifty riverside spots were identified as danger zones because of frequent sightings of reptiles in these places. A warning has been issued to people to avoid these troubled water zones. The bathing ghats which have become vulnerable due to croc intrusion have been barricaded”, said officials.

The conflict and consequent loss of human lives are frequently recorded during the monsoon and winter months, the nesting season of the estuarine crocodiles.

The salt-water crocodile population in Bhitarkanika has increased manifold from 96 in 1975 to 1768 so far.