KENDRAPARA: A partially-blind man escaped the jaws of a saltwater crocodile by poking the reptile in the eye with his fingers as it dragged him into Ramachandi creek within Bhitarkanika National Park here on Tuesday.
The victim, 54-year-old Pravat Mandal of Arun Nagar village under Mahakalapada forest range, suffered injuries to his left hand in the attack.
Sources said Pravat, who has lost vision in one eye, entered the creek to wash himself in the morning. All of a sudden, a crocodile appeared and grabbed his hand. “When I entered the creek, a crocodile caught hold of my left hand and started dragging me into the water. I started shouting for help and also pricked the eyes of the reptile with the fingers of my right hand. The crocodile loosened its grip, enabling me to escape from its jaws,” he said.
After Pravat scrambled back up the bank to safety, locals rushed him to Mahakalapada community health centre. He was treated for his hand injuries and his condition is stable.
The incident comes a week after a 45-year-old woman of Tanladia village within Bhitarkanika was killed by a saltwater crocodile.
Assistant conservator of forests (ACF), Bhitarkanika Manas Kumar Das said to prevent human-crocodile conflict during the breeding season, the Forest department has barricaded around 120 river ghats around the national park.
“We have warned villagers not to enter the ghats beyond the barricaded areas. Signposts warning presence of crocodiles have also been put up in many riverside villages,” he added.