17-06-2025
Croc caught from village pond
Kendrapada: A 6-ft-long male saltwater crocodile was caught by forest officials from a pond in Dangamal village within Bhitarkanika National Park on Tuesday. The forest department swung into action after owner of the pond, Rajesh Kumar Pati, told the forest department that a crocodile entered the pond from the nearby Balijori creek last week.
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It ate fish reared by him, resulting in a huge loss.
Around five forest personnel took a gruelling four hours to net the crocodile in the presence of many villagers from the pond. "I released fish fingerlings three months back in the pond by spending Rs 50,000 and hoped to make a profit by selling fish this month. But a crocodile ate many fishes. I need compensation from the forest department," said Rajesh Kumar Pati, the pond owner.
The forest personnel released the crocodile into the nearby Bhitarkanika river within the park. "The crocodile did not attack humans. It was also not injured while being captured," said Manas Kumar Das, the assistant conservator of forest (ACF) of Bhitarkanika.
