A crocodile that is suspected to have strayed into a village pond near the Sunderbans was rescued on Saturday.
The crocodile was an adult male. It was 15ft long and weighed over 300kg, said a forest official. It took more than a dozen men over three hours to corner, rescue and lift the crocodile.
The largest and heaviest living reptile in the world, the saltwater crocodile is said to be the top aquatic predator in the Sunderbans.
The reptile is suspected to have strayed into the village pond during high tide. It was spotted in a pond in Ban Shyamnagar village in Patharpratima in South 24 Parganas.
Before it could go back, the tide turned low, said the forest official.
A team from the Ramganga forest range arrived at the spot. A pump drained out some water from the pond. When the pond became shallower, the pond was fenced by a net so that the crocodile could not escape. Another net was used to corner the animal.
As it moved closer to the bank, the head was covered with a jute sack. Assured that the crocodile was blinded and its jaws covered, the guards pulled the net closer.
“At the time of covering the face, we have to be careful to not harm the snout,” said an official.
The crocodile was then tied to the pole and carried to the nearest camp office to be examined by a vet.
“After a clearance from the vet, the crocodile was released into the river near Chulkathi forest,” said Milan Mandal, the DFO of South 24 Parganas.
The saltwater crocodile is found in eastern India, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia. There have been instances of males growing up to 20 feet and weigh over 1,000 kg.
Apart from size, high tolerance for salinity separates saltwater crocodiles from their cousins like gharials, muggers and caimans.
