In the latest man-wildlife conflict, a 50-year-old woman was allegedly killed following an attack by a salt-water crocodile at a riverside village in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, officials said on Tuesday.
The body of a woman, who reportedly had gone missing after being dragged away by a crocodile in the Brahmani River while she was washing utensils, recovered from the river on Tuesday morning.
The incident took place on yesterday evening hours at the river ghat in Alapuadia village under Pattamundai police station jurisdiction. The deceased has been identified as Manjulata Bhanj, said officials.
The deceased’s family will be covered under Rs 6 lakh compensation award as per the government’s scheme to compensate for the death due to protected wild animals.
Lethal assault by the reptiles and consequent retaliatory attack by humans has become a regular feature in this part of the state. Most often, the mishaps occur when the victims intrude into the animal’s habitat, for illegal fishing, poaching, fuel wood collection and honey collection.
The conflict and consequent loss of human lives are most 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 1,811 in 2024.