Kendrapada: Forest department officials rescued a six-foot-long female saltwater crocodile from a pond in a village in Odisha’s Kendrapada district Monday and later released the reptile into the Bausagada river inside Bhitarkanika National Park, officials said.
The crocodile was spotted by villagers at Pentha under the Rajnagar forest range, following which forest officials were alerted.
The villagers were gripped by panic after learning that the reptile had entered a pond they used regularly, officials said.
“At least six forest personnel struggled for nearly two hours to net the reptile before releasing it into the Bausagada river inside Bhitarkanika National Park. The crocodile was neither injured during the operation nor did it attack anyone,” Rajnagar Forest Range Officer Santanu Dalei said.
He said the crocodile might have crossed the nearby riverbank and entered the pond during high tide.
Crocodiles often stray into village ponds, creeks and canals from nearby rivers, he said, advising residents to exercise caution while using waterbodies.