Bhubaneswar, June 29: A six-foot-long female saltwater crocodile that had wandered into a village pond near Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district was safely rescued and released into its natural habitat on Sunday, according to forest officials.
The reptile had been sighted multiple times over the past two weeks in Endalapur village, raising concerns among the residents. Upon receiving information from villagers, a forest department team launched a rescue operation.
"The rescue took nearly two hours as the team worked carefully to capture the crocodile using nets and ropes," said Chittaranjan Beura, forest range officer at the park. "Fortunately, the animal did not harm any people or livestock during its stay in the area."
The crocodile was later released back into the wild, away from human habitation.
