Bhubaneswar: Residents of Gajrajpur village under Rajnagar block in Kendrapara caught a 6-foot-long saltwater crocodile that had been terrorizing the village for nearly a month.
The reptile, believed to have escaped from a nearby canal, had been wreaking havoc on the village ponds, devouring fish and triggering fear among locals.
Despite being aware of the incident, the forest department has not taken any action, villagers alleged. The forest department’s non-action prompted the residents to take matters into their own hands.
On Saturday morning, as the crocodile swam in the pond, villagers swung into action and laid a net to capture the reptile.
“We were always scared, especially with our children moving around. We informed the forest officials, but they didn’t take any action. Today, we decided to catch the crocodile, a villager said.
Forest officials have not arrived at the scene till the last report came in. The villagers tied the crocodile with rope and waited for the forest officials to reach the spot.
