MALKANGIRI:THE family of Dasarath Madkami, a native of Munta village under Malkangiri police limits, had a narrow escape when a crocodile from Satiguda dam nearby entered his house early on Wednesday.
Madkami, who, along with his wife and two children, was asleep, woke up at about 3 am after hearing some unfamiliar sounds and found the 12-foot crocodile inside the house. Panicked, Madkami immediately shifted his children to a slab on the ceiling of his house and rushed out of his house with his wife to seek help of neighbours. Villagers rushed to the spot and managed to tie up the crocodile to a tree. They also informed the forest officials, who attempted to release the massive reptile back in Satiguda dam but could not do so in the wake of protests by the villagers. Finding no other option, they took the crocodile to Chitrakonda in the afternoon and released it in the reservoir at Spillway.
The Assistant Conservator of Forests, Srikant Nayak, said there are about 30 to 40 crocodiles including ‘Magar’ and ‘Baula’ species in Satiguda dam. “The reptile had probably come out of the dam and entered the village to lay eggs,” Nayak said.