Kendrapada: A six-foot-long saltwater crocodile was rescued after it was trapped in a fishing net in a waterlogged agricultural field in Odisha’s Kendrapada district on Saturday, forest officials said.
The net had been laid by a local fisherman to catch fish in Rajnagar area. This morning, he spotted the crocodile entangled in it and informed the forest officials, who rescued the reptile, they said.
The crocodile is suspected to have entered the field in search of fish, the officials said.
The incident has renewed concerns over frequent crocodile ingress into villages bordering Bhitarkanika National Park.
The reptiles are regularly sighted in rivers, canals and ponds in the area, with villagers fearing for their safety while entering water bodies or waterlogged farmland.
Every waterbody in the area is crocodile-infested. Venturing into a river to bathe is like risking one’s life. People are getting killed at regular intervals, Pradeep Kumar Das, a resident of Iswarpur village in Rajnagar tehsil, said.
Forest officials said awareness drives have been undertaken in areas along crocodile-inhabited water bodies, and people have been advised to remain alert and avoid entering them.
Skilled fishermen’s groups are also being engaged to drive crocodiles away from human habitations using traditional methods.
The saltwater crocodile population in Bhitarkanika has risen from 96 in 1975 to 1,858 at present, with the sanctuary believed to harbour about 70 per cent of India’s estuarine crocodiles.
