Authorities rescued a baby marsh crocodile following a five-day operation at a well in a closed construction site in Mumbai’s Marol (Andheri East). The crocodile was first spotted by some workers on Thursday inside the 70 feet deep well at the site. Officials said that the crocodile weighed slightly over 3 Kgs and was approximately 3 feet long.
The labourers then contacted Spreading Awareness on Reptiles and Rehabilitation Programme (SARRP) to rescue the crocodile, its founder-President Santosh Shinde said. It’s currently unknown as to how the animal made its way to the well.
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But officials predicted that the creature may have reached the well through a swollen tributary of Mithi River which happens to be near the construction site and has been shut since the coronavirus lockdowns earlier this year.
“Initially, when we tried to approach it, the crocodile seemed violent and tried to snap at us, so we retreated. Later, we approached it again on Monday with proper safety gear,” Shinde said while speaking to IANS.
Speaking on the nature of the rescue mission, Shinde said, “This involved cutting the iron grills on the well plus the barricades that cordoned off the construction site. Then there was the water in the well which added to the problems.”
The rescue team consisted of Shinde himself along with Arbaaz Khan, Sheldon D'Souza, Mitesh Solanki, and Umesh Sawant.
SARRP officials carried out the process of emptying the water in the well before the crocodile finally appeared on a stone platform. Up to 25 feet of water was reportedly flushed out. A crane was then used to drop rescue team members into the well, equipped with safety gear, to bring the baby crocodile outside safely.
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When asked what the crocodile may have survived on, Shinde said “Probably fish in the well. During the flushing out, one local variety fish, measuring around one feet long, also came out, probably its last meal!”
The crocodile was later examined by SARRP veterinarian Dr Sunetra Wadake who found it to be healthy and fit, Shinde said.
The baby crocodile was then released to a designated site in its natural habitat after permission from the Forest Department who were given updates on the rescue mission.
SARRP has previously carried out the rescue of another crocodile three years ago near Powai Lake as the region experienced flooding during the monsoon. The agency has also been responsible for the rescue of wild animals, birds, snakes, and other reptiles across Mumbai over the past few years.
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