Calcutta, Dec. 5: The 8ft-long reptile sprang out of the water with its mouth open the moment it felt a jab.

One of the three men who were inside the crocodile enclosure at a private zoo near Madhyamgram immediately lassoed it and together they started pulling it out of the water. Once out, they covered its mouth with a sack and tied it with a rope.

The reptile was among 49 rescued by forest department officials today from a private zoo owned by Dipak Mitra. The reptiles were allegedly not being taken care of properly.

The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) wrote to Mitra a couple of months ago, stating he would not be allowed to keep the reptiles because they were being kept under cruel conditions.The CZA also sent a copy of the letter to the forest department.

"After receiving the CZA letter, we wrote to Mitra, but he didn't respond," a state forest official said. "He did not even accept our notice. Yesterday, we pasted a notice outside the zoo and carried out the rescue operation today afternoon."

Forest officials rescued eight crocodiles, six pythons and a king cobra apart from other reptiles in the nearly five-hour operation. The crocodiles' jaws were sealed and their eyes kept shut to reduce stress before they were carried to the vehicles - two trucks and two smaller vehicles - that ferried them to Alipore zoo.

One of the crocodiles weighing 250kg was probably the oldest of the lot. Officials said the reptile's age could be close to 35. At least seven people were needed to carry it from its enclosure to the van.

Mitra, the owner of the zoo, was once considered a hero by people interested in conserving animals, birds and reptiles. Apart from the zoo near Madhyamgram, he has a wide variety of snakes and other reptiles in his south Calcutta home.

Mitra said he had no issues with the state forest department. "The Central Zoo Authority, which is under the central government, has ordered the removal of the animals. The difference of opinion is with the central authority. I have no problem with the state forest department taking them away," he said.

The zoo was inaugurated in 1977.

A conservation worker said Mitra was "excellent" in catching snakes. "For years he was the only person who could help catch snakes that slithered into people's homes," he said. "At a time when people used to kill snakes, Mitra helped spread awareness against their killing."

The conservation worker, however, said that Mitra had failed to keep the snakes in good condition at the zoo and in his home.

Mitra said the zoo would remain open to the public. There are about 20 varieties of birds in the zoo that would attract people, he said.