A 6-foot-long crocodile was saved from a village pond in Odisha.

In Kendrapara, a district in the state of Odisha, a group of villagers recently had an unexpected encounter with a large saltwater crocodile. The six-foot-long reptile was found in a community pond near the famous Bhitarkanika National Park. Forest officials, who were informed about the crocodile's presence, shared that the villagers had to go through a three-hour-long ordeal to capture the animal.

According to the villagers of Gajarajpur, the crocodile had been spotted in their village about two weeks ago. They immediately alerted the forest officials, hoping that the reptile would be rescued and safely released back into the wild. However, their pleas went unheard and the crocodile continued to roam freely in their village. This forced the villagers to take matters into their own hands and attempt to capture the crocodile themselves.

Pramod Pradhan, a 53-year-old resident of Gajarajpur, shared that the villagers had no choice but to risk their own lives to capture the crocodile. He expressed his disappointment in the forest officials for not taking immediate action to remove the dangerous animal from their village. Chittaranjan Beura, the Forest Range Officer of Bhitarkanika National Park, explained that the crocodile may have strayed into the village from the nearby Barunei creek during high tide. Fortunately, the villagers were able to capture the crocodile without causing any harm to the animal.

As soon as the forest officials were informed of the situation, they quickly arrived at the village and safely released the crocodile back into its natural habitat. Beura also shared that the villagers played a crucial role in the rescue operation and showed great care and concern for the crocodile's well-being.

The incident serves as a reminder of the increasing population of saltwater crocodiles in Bhitarkanika National Park. In 1975, there were only 96 crocodiles in the area, but now the number has risen to a staggering 1,811. This is a testament to the efforts of the park's conservation team and the local community to protect these magnificent creatures and their natural habitat.

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