Gujarat rains: 24 crocodiles rescued from Vadodara's residential areas between Aug 27-29

01 September,2024 03:16 PM IST |  Vadodara  |  PTI

There are many residential areas close to Vishwamitri river,which is home to 440 crocodiles. Many crocodiles moved into residential areas during the flooding caused by the water released from Ajwa dam, Vadodara Range Forest Officer Karansinh Rajput said

Representation Pic


A total of 24 crocodiles were rescued from residential areas in Gujarat's Vadodara amid very heavy rains between August 27 and 29, which led to the water level in the Vishwamitri river that flows through the city rising, a forest department official said on Sunday.

The river is home to 440 crocodiles, many of which move into residential areas during flooding caused by water release from the Ajwa dam, Vadodara Range Forest Officer Karansinh Rajput said.

"Apart from 24 crocodiles, we also rescued 75 other animals, including snakes, cobras, five large turtles weighing nearly 40 kilograms and a porcupine during these three days. There are many residential areas close to Vishwamitri river," he said.

"The smallest crocodile we rescued was two feet long, while the largest was 14 feet long, which was caught on Thursday from Kamnath Nagar situated along the river. Local residents alerted us about this huge crocodile.

Two other crocodiles, 11 feet long, were also rescued on Thursday from EME Circle and an open area near the Zoology Department of MS University," Rajput informed.

However, no incident of crocodile-human conflict was recorded during these days, when the region and most parts of the state witnessed heavy rains, he added.

"Usually, crocodiles do not attack humans. In the river, they survive on fish and animal carcasses. They may also kill and eat dogs, pigs or any other small animal. A video of one such encounter went viral recently," the RFO said.

Since the water level of Vishwamitri river has dropped significantly, the rescued crocodiles and other reptiles will be released in it, he said.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
national news gujarat vadodara heavy rains
Related Stories