A four-feet-long female estuarine crocodile, which had strayed into a community pond, was caught alive by the Forest Department personnel much to the relief of residents of a village in Odisha’s Kendrapara district.
The juvenile reptile was netted by the forest officials from a pond in Barahapur village lying in close vicinity of Bhitarkanika national park, said an official on Saturday.
It took a grueling two hours for the forest personnel to net the crocodile as the curious villagers witnessed the exercise.
The crocodile was later released in the Baunsagadi rivulet, the habitat of these reptiles, said forest officials.
Local residents sighted the reptile in the pond and raised the alarm. The panicked villagers later informed the forest personnel who later rescued it in a swift operation.
We are relieved. People were frightened to see the croc in the water body, said a local Rajib Sahu.
The crocs used to stray in search of food in village areas. They often leave the place for their original habitat within a few days as per their natural instinct, said the wildlife personnel.
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 1811 so far.