Calcutta, June 29: A toothy visitor jolted residents of a South 24-Parganas village out of their sleep this morning — a crocodile in their pond that frequently opened its jaws.

Forest officials, who later took the five-foot-long reptile to the Bhagabatpur sanctuary, about 50km from Krishnadaspur village in Patharpratima, said the croc had slipped in through a gap that connects the pond with a tributary of the Matla.

Srimanta Senapati, 45, who had gone for a wash, said: “At first I thought it was a branch of a tree. Then I realised it was a crocodile.”

Soon, at least 500 villagers had gathered. Some started throwing stones at the crocodile. “The crocodile went under only to float up again. It also frequently opened its jaws,” said Srimanta’s brother Kamal.