KENDRAPARA: Forest officials rescued an eight-foot-long crocodile from a pond in Pentha within Bhitarkanika National Park on Saturday.
The rescue operation took nearly three hours and involved five forest personnel. The crocodile was later released safely into the nearby Bausagada river. Members of a local women’s self help group (SHG) had raised concerns about a crocodile that had entered the pond from the Bausagada river the previous week.
The reptile had reportedly eaten fish reared by the SHG. The operation drew many curious villagers, some of whom posed for photos with the captured reptile before it was transported to the river.
Forest range officer Chittaranjan Beura said that the crocodile did not harm any humans and was uninjured during the rescue. “We netted and roped the animal before releasing it back into Bausagada River. It remained calm throughout,” he said.