Published 19:32 IST, September 16th 2020
Maharashtra: Crocodile rescued from toxic sewer water after 15-day long expedition
The 5-year-old crocodile was found stranded in the water body after it was spotted by the local dwellers, who then informed the authorities in Maharashtra.
- India News
- 2 min read
Officials on September 15 rescued a gigantic crocodile from the sewer waters in the outskirts of Maharashtra’s Solapur, a PTI report confirmed. The 5-year-old reptile was found stranded in the contaminated water body after it was spotted by the local dwellers, who then informed the authorities. The rescue operation was conducted for several hours to forest department staff and a Pune-based NGO to safely remove the creature for the fears of it migrating to the urban settlement, and then release it back in the wild.
“The 1.85-meter long crocodile was in the waterbody, which is made up sewerage coming from Solapur city, for the past three months. After residents alerted us, we observed the movement of the animal for one-and-half months and set up three cages with meat as bait,” a local resident was quoted by the news agency PTI as saying.
An official from the forest management department said, "It was important that we rescue it quickly as the water is contaminated and could harm the animal. Today, members of RESQ, an animal welfare outfit from Pune, and forest staff rescued the crocodile after it entered one of the cages. It is under medical observation,” PTI quoted.
Chasing and catching an injured crocodile
Earlier, Gujarat’s Wildlife Rescue Trust and the forest department saved an injured crocodile that was reported wandering in the residential area at Tarsali, in Vadodara district of Gujarat. Members of the Wildlife Rescue trust embarked to capture the crocodile with a gaping wound on its tail, whose sighting was reported six months ago, as well. Arvind Pawar, a Trust member involved in the rescue operation told ANI that the authorities were informed about the incident late night and they immediately set out with forest department officials for the scene. After a prolonged chasing and attempts to capture it, the authorities finally managed to get hold of the 5-foot long wild creature. The animal was handed over to the forest department for medical inspection and later to be released into the wild in its natural habitat.
Updated 19:31 IST, September 16th 2020