Bhubaneswar: The forest department, with the help of local residents and fishermen, successfully rescued a giant saltwater crocodile that strayed into a prawn gheri at Khunta village under Rajkanika police limits in Kendrapara.
After an eight-hour-long operation, the forest personnel and locals netted the 14-feet-long reptile. Later, the aquatic creature was released into the Bhitarkanika National Park.
A local stated that the reptile might have been swept away by the high tide in the sea due to Cyclone ‘Dana’. Although it posed a threat to villagers, it didn’t harm anyone and was captured unharmed, said a local. People panicked after the crocodile entered the prawn gheri on Saturday and informed the forest department.
Upon being informed, the forest department personnel reached the village and initiated the operation to rescue the crocodile.
The crocodile likely entered the prawn gheri from the nearby Bramhani River, close to the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary.
