Gujarat rains: 24 crocodiles rescued from Vadodara's residential areas between 27-29 Aug

A total of 24 crocodiles were rescued from residential areas in Gujarat's Vadodara amid very heavy rains between 27 and 29 August, which led to the water level in the Vishwamitri river that flows through the city rising, a forest department official said on Sunday, 1 August.

The river is home to 440 crocodiles, many of which move into residential areas during flooding caused by water release from the Ajwa dam, Vadodara Range Forest Officer Karansinh Rajput said.

"Apart from 24 crocodiles, we also rescued 75 other animals, including snakes, cobras, five large turtles weighing nearly 40 kilograms and a porcupine during these three days. There are many residential areas close to Vishwamitri river," he said.

"The smallest crocodile we rescued was two feet long, while the largest was 14 feet long, which was caught on Thursday from Kamnath Nagar situated along the river. Local residents alerted us about this huge crocodile. Two other crocodiles, 11 feet long, were also rescued on Thursday from EME Circle and an open area near the Zoology Department of MS University," Rajput informed.

However, no incident of crocodile-human conflict was recorded during these days, when the region and most parts of the state witnessed heavy rains, he added.

"Usually, crocodiles do not attack humans. In the river, they survive on fish and animal carcasses. They may also kill and eat dogs, pigs or any other small animal. A video of one such encounter went viral recently," the RFO said.

Since the water level of Vishwamitri river has dropped significantly, the rescued crocodiles and other reptiles will be released in it, he said.