Bhubaneswar: Forest officials rescued a mugger crocodile, nearly nine feet long, from railway tracks in Odisha’s Sambalpur district.
The crocodile was spotted near the Sambalpur-Talcher railway tracks at Patakhaman village under Kukudabahali gram panchayat in Rairakhol block.
It took Forest department personnel and Rapid Response teams from Sambalpur and Anugola a three-and-a-half-hour operation to rescue the reptile.
Villagers first spotted the 8-foot-11-inch crocodile late on Monday night while it was crossing the railway tracks near Patakhaman. The sudden appearance of the large crocodile in an area that doesn’t have any major river or stream close by triggered panic among local residents.
On receiving information, officials of Rairakhol Forest Division, along with Rapid Response teams from Sambalpur and Anugola arrived at the spot and launched a search operation.
However, the crocodile had moved away from where it was initially spotted.
Following a long and extensive search, the crocodile was located on Tuesday afternoon in a patch of bushy land beside the railway track. Then started the operation to capture the crocodile safely.
After safely capturing it, the Anugola Forest team transported the reptile and released it into a safe water body.
According to Forest officials, the crocodile is around 14 to 15 years old. They suspect that heavy rainfall may have caused it to stray into human habitation area from a nearby water source.
The Forest department has advised residents to remain cautious. Locals have been urged to avoid venturing outdoors at night unless necessary and to ensure that children do not go out unattended.