Kendrapara, July 12: Skilled fishermen have been pressed into service to drive away crocodiles that have trespassed into waterbodies at the villages around the Bhitarkanika National Park.

The forest personnel of Bhitarkanika National Park were forced to press the fishermen service groups back on job to put a check on the incidents of man-crocodile conflict.

“All possible attempts are being made to ensure the safety of people in villages around the sanctuary. The forest department tries to ensure peaceful coexistence of man and animals. While crocodiles are trespassing into human habitations and attacking people, the animals are also being killed in villagers’ attacks on many occasions,” said Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, divisional forest officer, Rajnagar Mangrove Forest Division.

“Earlier, we deployed groups of skilled fishermen on contractual basis to drive away crocodiles and it brought down the numbers of man-crocodile conflict,” he said.

To drive away crocodiles from water bodies along human habitations, five groups of experienced local fishermen have been recruited on an annual contract. Each of the groups have been provided with country-made boats and nets.

After locating itinerant crocodiles, the fishermen chase them with bamboo sticks.

The caged animals were later brought back and released into the Bhitarkanika Wildilfe Sanctuary, said an official.