Kendrapara: A 16-foot-long saltwater crocodile was rescued from a canal near the Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district Monday, officials said.
The male crocodile was captured from a canal at Jarimula village following a four-hour operation carried out by a six-member forest team, Rajnagar Forest Range Officer Chittaranjan Beura said. The reptile was later released into the Patasala River within the Bhitarkanika National Park.
The crocodile neither attacked anyone nor suffered any injury during the rescue operation. It is suspected to have entered the canal from a nearby river during high tide, Beura said. Forest officials said crocodiles often stray into village ponds, creeks and canals from adjoining rivers, particularly during tidal movements.
Locals have been advised to remain cautious while using water bodies in the area. Barricades have been installed at several river and pond ghats around Bhitarkanika to minimise the risk of human-crocodile encounters, they said.
Bhitarkanika, regarded as one of India’s most successful saltwater crocodile conservation habitats, is currently home to 1,858 estuarine crocodiles, according to Forest Department records.
