Kendrapara: A 45-year-old man was killed in a crocodile attack on Sunday, sparking fresh bouts of man-animal conflict in areas lying close to the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary.

An adult crocodile pounced on Sarat Mallick, a native of Srirampur village. The incident occurred during the early hours of Sunday when Mallick was taking a bath at Palapatna ghat. Mallick's maimed body was fished out from the river by local residents. Forest department officials rushed to the spot as the villagers agitated over frequent crocodile attacks. "The incident occurred outside the national park limits. The deceased fisherman's family would be covered under ex-gratia compensation payment scheme," said Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) divisional forest officer Bimal Prasanna Acharya.

"The forest department has erected bamboo barricades along bathing ghats in the croc-infested water zones. However, the riverside villagers expose themselves by bathing in areas that have not been barricaded," he said.

Assaults by the reptiles and retaliatory attacks by the residents have become a regular feature in this part of the state. The conflict and consequent loss of human lives are most frequently recorded during the monsoon and winter months. Adult crocodiles, under normal circumstances, do not leave their territory to chase human beings on land, unlike terrestrial predatory animals such as tigers. Most often, the mishaps occur when the victims intrude into the animal's habitats for illegal fishing, poaching, fuel wood and honey collection.

The animals, in the wake of depleted food reserves in the river system, stray into nearby rivulets and nullahs. With the water bodies located in the vicinity of human settlements, the crocodiles attack men, who fish in "troubled waters".

On Saturday, Kailash Chandra Sethy, 42, of Belpal village was injured in a crocodile attack when he was bathing in the Brahmani river. Sethy had confronted the croc by hitting it with a stick and survived.