A 30-year-old man from a riverside village in Odisha’s Kendrapara district displayed exemplary courage when he survived a crocodile attack after a brief, one- to two-minute confrontation with the reptile, an official said on Thursday.

He is now on the path of recovery after escaping the claws of death.

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Dipu Ahati, a farmer of Lunimathia village in the Mahakalapada forest range, has become the talk of the riverside villages after valiantly fighting off a furious saltwater crocodile that attacked him in the Gobari River. He survived the attack by putting up a courageous fight with the reptile for a few minutes in the river. His retaliation forced the animal to release its hold, allowing him to escape the situation.

“I was terrified when the crocodile suddenly appeared from nowhere and dragged my legs when I was bathing at the river ghat. I started shouting and also poked its eyes with my fingers. The crocodile loosened its grip, enabling me to escape from its mouth,” said Dipu, who is currently undergoing treatment at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Mahakalapada.

Estuarine crocodiles are straying into water bodies, creeks, and water inlets near human habitation areas. This has led to the outbreak of crocodile-man conflict in several areas lying on the close periphery of Bhitarkanika National Park.

The department is prioritising the safety of local people. Local residents need to remain watchful and vigilant. People could ensure their safety by keeping a safe distance from crocodile-infested water bodies, the official added.

The Bhitarkanika National Park authorities in Kendrapara have erected bamboo barricade barriers at around 130 bathing ghats in crocodile-infested rivers and water bodies to ensure human safety.

The bathing ghats have been barricaded with bamboo poles to prevent crocodiles from entering bathing areas. In the past, there have been instances where crocodiles attacked people while they were bathing, the official said.

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

The saltwater crocodile population in Bhitarkanika has increased manifold from 96 in 1,975 to 1,811 so far.