Crocodile wanders into UP village; caught and released

Agra, Oct 28 Late October rains in Agra region have not only brought the early chills, but also encouraged wild animals to look for comfortable hideouts. A large number of reptiles which strayed into urban clusters have been rescued. In some parts, leopards and other wild animals were sighted, close to the areas bordering forests.

In a late night rescue operation on Thursday, conservation NGO Wildlife SOS rescued a nearly 5-foot-long crocodile after it was spotted on an agricultural field near Baswapur village located in Mainpuri district, Uttar Pradesh. The crocodile was successfully rescued and later released into its natural habitat in the presence of forest department officials.

Geared with the necessary rescue equipment, the NGO's Rapid Response Unit based out of Agra travelled nearly two hours to reach the location. A three-member team arrived at the site late in the night and scanned the surroundings for any unwanted crowd. Ensuring all precautionary measures, the team then used a safety net to carefully extricate the crocodile.

The crocodile was believed to have ventured into the field via a canal, located approximately 2 km away. The reptile was found to be healthy and was later released in the Chambal river in Etawah district in the presence of forest department officials.

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS, said, "Even though there is increased awareness among people in rural areas about the presence of crocodiles, many are caught unaware when they spot a wild crocodile in their village. However, the villagers in this case were extremely cooperative and kept a watch till the experts arrived. This goes to show how much of an impact awareness and education can bring. We are glad that neither the crocodile nor the villagers were hurt in this case."

Baiju Raj M.V., Director, Conservation Projects, Wildlife SOS, said, "Mugger crocodiles are most commonly found in freshwater environments such as rivers, lakes, hill streams, village ponds and man-made reservoirs. In this case, the canal must have created a route for the crocodile to enter this area since this region is not known for any well-suited crocodile habitat."