Vadodara: Floods bring crocodiles to streets, 3 rescued

Murky floodwaters receding from Vadodara revealed some scary river dwellers who moved into residential areas during floods — crocodiles. Animal rescue workers had a busy day as they rescued three juvenile crocodiles from the city.

With the number expected to rise as water-level recedes, the forest department has deployed four teams to keep an eye for stray crocodiles.

Meanwhile, a video of a crocodile chasing street dogs in a flooded society purportedly from Vadodara is doing the rounds on the Internet.

Pratik Lakdawala who is a member of the animal welfare board in Vadodara and is part of a team that is into rescuing wildlife during floods said they have received several calls about stray crocodiles, but so far only three have been rescued.

"All three cases were in areas close to Vishwamitri. We have been getting calls but it is difficult to carry out rescue operations because of poor visibility during floods. Since crocodiles are extremely agile in water, rescue becomes even more difficult," said Lakdawala, adding, "At times, people spot something, call us and forget about it. By the time we reach the spot, the reptile becomes untraceable. People should keep an eye on the movement of reptiles while we come to spot with help."

Pointing out that the numbers are likely to go up as water recedes further, Lakdawala said, "In most of these cases, the reptiles are juveniles. The young ones and juveniles are more likely to be swept up by the current during floods. When the water recedes, they find it difficult to find their way back."

Crocodile expert Raju Vyas pointed out that encroachment is the reason behind these cases. "Crocodiles can travel up to 25 km on dry land. We have encroached on their habitat. Thus, the conflict with reptiles is obvious," said Vyas.