KENDRAPARA: Villagers of Gajarajpur near Bhitarkanika National Park captured a six-foot-long female saltwater crocodile on Saturday after it had been causing panic for over two weeks. The crocodile, which had previously consumed fish from a local pond, had frightened residents, forcing them to take action when forest officials did not respond to their appeals for help.
The estuarine crocodile, weighing approximately 50 kg, was captured by the villagers who suspected it had been carried into the village by high tide waters from the nearby Barunei creek. Villagers, risking their own safety, managed to rope in the reptile after a gruelling three-hour effort before forest officials arrived.
Forest range officer Chittaranjan Beura confirmed that the crocodile was released unharmed into the Bausagada river within the park. While the reptile did not attack humans, its presence was a threat to animals.