While monsoon is welcome by one and all, it does create some disruption in normal life. In the case of Vishwamitri township in Gujarat’s Vadodara area, the rain results in mugger crocodiles making their presence felt in the region.
The non-governmental organisation Wildlife SOS along with the Gujarat Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals rescued two crocodiles in a single night. The reptiles have been handed over to the Gujarat Forest Department and will be released soon in the wild.
The Vishwamitri residents were surprised to see a crocodile in the middle of the road and concerned about their safety and that of the creature, they immediately called Wildlife SOS on their 24×7 rescue helpline (+91 9825011117) which the NGO operates with GSPCA.
The team reached the spot and in a late-night operation they rescued the juvenile crocodile and brought it to safety.
The same night, the rescue unit received another call from Dumad village which is 10 kilometres from the town. Here the villagers had seen a 4-foot-long crocodile in the field. Alarmed by its size they contacted the NGO. The Wildlife SOS-GSPCA Rapid Response Unit rushed to the spot sensing the gravity of the situation and rescued the animal.
Explaining the appearance of muggers, Raj Bhavsar, Project Coordinator at Wildlife SOS, and President of GSPCA said: “With the arrival of monsoon, we have seen heavy rains in Vadodara city in the past 24 hours. The land and the water bodies merged and were on the same level as a result of flooding. This forced crocodiles out of their habitat, and as soon as the water receded, it left the dry area open leaving the crocodiles stranded on land.”
Vishwamitri is Vadodara’s major river and has the highest population density of mugger crocodiles as per Kartick Satyanarayan, Wildlife SOS CEO. One of their major concerns is avoidance of human-animal conflict. “Heavy rains often flood the river, forcing the crocodiles out of their natural homes. That is why with the help of the Gujarat Forest Department, we conduct awareness programs and workshops to educate people about avoiding areas where the crocodiles can venture,” he remarked.
