COIMBATORE: In a 14-hour operation, a team of 18 staff from Sirumugai forest range rescued a crocodile from a 20-ft farm well at Indira Nagar near Odanthurai after K Manoj, Forest Range Officer of Sirumugai forest “We received information about the crocodile from the farm owner Thirumurugan on Monday morning.
Around 8 am we confirmed its presence and started pumping out water from the well at 10 am. Though we placed chicken meat in a cage and lowered it into the well using a crane, the reptile did not enter it. A staff, sitting in the cage entered the well and tied the mouth of the crocodile. Though we managed to pump out water completely around 10 pm, the reptile entered the cage only at 11 pm.”
A net was erected around the well for two metres to prevent people from getting close to the spot. Manoj added, “We suspect the crocodile entered the well during the recent rain from the nearby branch channel of Bhavani River. We released it in Koothamandi reserve forest in the backwaters of Bhavani Sagar dam at 11.30 pm.”