In an arduous seven-hour long rescue operation, members of the NGO, Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) were able to catch a 4.4-feet long crocodile stuck in a drain near a construction site in the residential area at Yogi Hills in Mulund at around 1:00 am on Monday.
RAWW received a distress call on their helpline on Sunday noon from the residents of Yogi Hills about a crocodile sighting in a drain near the construction site next to their building. Pawan Sharma, Honorary Wildlife Warden for Thane and Founder & President, RAWW informed, “Soon after reaching the spot our team located the crocodile in a drain and checked if there was any route directly connecting to its natural habitat which was not found.”
The reptile was found in a five-feet-deep pit which was connected to the drain. The incident could’ve resulted in an incident of human-animal conflict, as the construction site’s labour camp was nearby. Later, a 15-member team of wildlife rescuers from RAWW and the Mumbai Range of Forest Department began the rescue operation which lasted for 7 hours after which the crocodile was safely captured.
The rescue operation lasted till 1:00 am on Monday after which the crocodile was taken to wildlife veterinarian Dr. Rina Dev for Medical examination purpose. Dr. Rina declared it fit and identified the crocodile as a Male Marsh Crocodile who was 5 to 6 years old and weighed 8.8 kgs.
The crocodile has been released back to its natural habitat and won’t be disclosed for the reptile’s protection.